Independent British migrant worker rights specialist and advocate Andy Hall has expressed disappointment over his meetings with senior Bangladesh government officials during his latest visit concluded on Sunday, saying he had expected a more meaningful and solutions-oriented dialogue on migration governance and the protection of migrant workers.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hall said he arrived in Bangladesh on July 1 with "hope and a sincere and passionate desire" to contribute constructively to discussions on safe migration, ethical recruitment, migrant workers' rights, and the protection of Bangladeshi workers at home and abroad.
According to Hall, one of the primary objectives of his visit was to engage with Bangladesh's newly elected BNP-led government. To facilitate meetings with senior officials, he extended his stay until Sunday after originally planning to depart on Friday.
Hall said his scheduled July 5 meetings with Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and the Prime Minister's Adviser on Migration, Mahdi Amin, were particularly important. However, as Mahdi Amin was unavailable due to other engagements, Hall instead met the Prime Minister's Special Assistant, Shakirul Islam.
"Unfortunately, I left those meetings feeling disappointed," Hall said. "I had hoped for a more open, substantive and solutions-oriented discussion. Instead, I felt the meeting did not provide sufficient space for meaningful dialogue or for my experience, concerns and goodwill to be fully heard. There were no commitments from the government side."
He added that, given his long-standing work on migrant worker protection and the effort he had made to attend the meetings, the outcome was both personally and professionally disappointing.
Despite this, Hall described the rest of his visit as productive, highlighting constructive meetings held on July 2, 3 and 4 with recruitment agencies, civil society representatives and migrant worker groups.
"I appreciated the openness of these exchanges and learned a great deal about positive developments in Bangladesh, as well as the continuing challenges faced by migrant workers and their families," he said.
Hall stressed that his statement was not intended as criticism of any individual or institution, but rather as constructive feedback to strengthen migration governance and worker protection.
Expressing gratitude to everyone who met with him, Hall reaffirmed his confidence in Bangladesh's potential to become a leader in safe migration and ethical recruitment. As he concluded his visit, he said he was leaving with mixed feelings but remained hopeful that future visits would allow for more constructive, respectful and practical dialogue with government authorities.
He added that he stands ready to contribute positively and in good faith to improving outcomes for Bangladeshi migrant workers and their families.
