The Governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland, together with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched a new project on Sunday on sustainable reintegration for returned migrant workers.
This extends a long-standing partnership and commitment to establish a gender responsive and inclusive policy frameworks with strengthened systems to ensure that return migrant workers are sustainably reintegrated and continue to contribute to the countrys development.
The project, signed in December 2023 with the Government of Bangladesh, aims to support the reintegration of returned migrant workers through institutions and an effective coordination mechanism that can effectively provide employment and business development support services to the workers.
Md Saiful Haque Chowdhury, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, said on this occasion that, "The contribution of the project is going to be immense and instrumental and will significantly help us to develop our capacity, systems of inclusive and sustainable reintegration."
At the project launching event Md. Mazharul Islam, National Programme Officer, ILO delineated an overview of technical supports of ILO on labour migration. Rahnuma Salam Khan, National Project Manager, ILO presented the overview of Reintegration for Migrant Workers Project.
Chief Guest, Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, MP, State Minster of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry, said, "I wholeheartedly appreciate the initiatives… My deep appreciation towards ILO and Switzerland for creating this umbrella for diverse stakeholders and development partners."
"Switzerland has accompanied Bangladesh to design the labour migration policy architecture in the country over the last 14 years and we are pleased with this long-standing partnership", said Corinne Henchoz Pignani, the Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland.
Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, ILO, said and Tanvir Shakil Joy, MP, Chairperson, Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development also spoke in the event.
The project launching and stakeholders networking event was also attended by Parliament members, representatives of the government, development partners, UN agencies, social partners, workers and employers organizations, private sector including recruiting agents civil society, Academia and media.
Post-COVID, Bangladesh became the top migrant worker sending country in Asia in 2021 and 2022, with more than one million (1m) overseas deployment in 2022 . Migrant remittances account for about 40 percent of the countrys export earnings, only second to the readymade garment (RMG) sector.
