Migrant workers and rights activists at a pre-budget consultation on Tuesday urged the government to pay the migration charges to ensure better regulation of the recruitment process.
To this effect, they called for necessary allocation in the national budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18.
The government must pay recruitment and welfare fees instead of the migrant workers, which will help reduce migration cost, they viewed.
They also sought allocation for welfare, healthcare and safety net programmes to ensure an optimum standard of living for Bangladeshi migrant workers.
Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP) organised the discussion on 'Migrants' Budget' with participation of around 500 migrant workers and their families at the city's Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB).
The participants, including officials and rights activists, observed that though migrants are contributing a lot to the country's economy, a poor allocation is given for them in the national budget every year.
OKUP chairman Shakirul Islam said Bangladeshi workers pay extremely high migration cost, most of which comes from land sale or loan.
But regulating safe and orderly recruitment is still not in place.
"Government-paid migration will reduce recruitment cost, check visa trading, deception and fraud that usually happen in Bangladesh," he said.
Mr Islam also suggested increasing the number of labour wings and labour wing officials proportionately in every job destination country.
Necessary budget allocation is needed in this sector, he said.
Parliamentarians' Caucus on Migration and Development co-chair Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia MP who spoke as the chief guest said present government is very much sincere about migrant workers' rights.
The demand for better treatment of migrant workers and better education of their children are very much rational, she added.
Wage Earners Welfare Board director general Gazi Mohammad Julhas said the government was well informed of the problems of the migrant workers at home and abroad and it was taking measures accordingly gradually.
"The government doesn't ignore the issues of the migrant workers," he added.
Audrey Maillot, team leader - Governance, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, said migration should be a win-win for both the job destination and sending countries.
Migrant workers have great contribution to the development of their own countries as well as the destination countries, he noted. 'Unfortunately it is far from being as simple as that.'
OKUP executive director Omar Faruque Chowdhury moderated the programme where he said migrant workers are neglected in every sphere of the society.
"We demand direct allocation of budget for protection of the migrant workers," he said.
WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque said the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment should place a rational budget proposal to the ministry concerned.
"But they don't want to place big budget as they were proved unable to expend the money properly in previous years," he added.
BRAC migration programme head Shariful Hasan said the government has no notable investment for the development of migrant workers. But the migrants' contribution is very high in the country. So budget allocation has to be increased properly.
BOMSA director Sumaiya Islam also demanded increasing budgetary allocation giving top priority to the migrants.
Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training additional director general Rafiqul Islam and INAFI Bangladeshi executive director Atiqun Nabi, among others, also spoke at the programme.
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