To stop harassment of migrant workers at the airports on their return the government would ensure VIP services for them within a time period between two weeks and one month, said expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment adviser Asif Nazrul on Tuesday.
While talking to the reporters at the ministry, he said that the government was also working to ease the migration and remittance sending process.
Asif Nazrul said that at the first phase returnees from the Middle Eastern countries would get the service which would be made available to others gradually.
‘We are considering giving the migrants access to the VIP Lounge,’ he said adding that once many corrupt and influential people used the facilities.
He said that expatriate welfare officials would accompany them and receive them with due respect and help them if they need any.
Expatriate workers’ harassment at the airports in the hands of the airport employees over the decades is a well-documented and commonly reported matter.Â
Asif Nazrul said that so far 87 migrant workers were enlisted to be victimised for expressing support to the student led-public uprising.
‘The government took initiatives to rehabilitate all the victim migrant workers,’ he said.
He also said that after taking charge he undertook some measures which had made significant progress to ensure the wellbeing of migrant workers.
The government was also trying to expand destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers, mentioned the adviser, adding that he hoped that within two months more destinations would be opened for the country’s migration aspirants.
He said that services of the Probashi Kallyan Bank would be taken on the doorsteps of aspirant migrants.
As part of that the Probashi Kallyan Bank would soon open booths at the branches of the Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank across the country, he mentioned.
The expatriates’ welfare adviser further said that the Probashi Kallyan Bank will also offer facilities for the migrant workers to send remittance back home. It will also offer loan for migrant workers for a minimum interest.
Responding to questions about the refunds of money to the victims of migration syndicates active in labour export to Malaysia, Asif Nazrul said that the recruiting agents paid back the money taken from them to the brokers who made only 25 per cent of the refunds so far.
He hoped that the victims would get their full refunds soon.
The adviser said that the government would categorise the recruiting agencies to promote better practices.
Expatriates’ welfare secretary Ruhul Amin and senior officials of the ministry and other departments were with the adviser during the briefing.
