High migration cost still remains a big challenge for the government even though it has taken various steps to bring the expenses down.
Officials and rights activists said this at a national consultation on Pre- GFMD (Global Forum on Migration and Development) in the city on Tuesday.
Speaking as the chief guest, secretary of the expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry Salim Reza said the government's top priorities are to establish a comprehensive database of aspirant migrant workers, ensure skills development and reduce the migration cost.
Women migrant workers, however, are going abroad at zero migration cost, he added.
He also called upon the stakeholders in the overseas job sector to extend their cooperation to the government in ensuring safe, orderly, regular and low-cost migration.
Country representative of UN Women Shoko Ishikawa said priority should be given to ensuring women migrants' voices getting reflected in the global forums.
Female migrants' physical and psychological cost should be considered while assessing their zero cost of migration, she said, adding that steps should also be taken to protect their rights.
Jerry Fox, team leader of PROKAS Programme of the British Council, said, "We are working with the government to ensure information are available for the migrant workers."
Additional secretary of the overseas employment ministry Ahmed Munirus Saleheen stressed the need for strong partnership with all stakeholders to implement the global compact for migration and sustainable development goals.
Director general at the foreign ministry Nazrul Islam, IOM chief of mission Giorgi Gigauri, WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque, ILO chief technical adviser Laetitia Weibel Robert, OKUP executive director Omar Farique Chowdhury and UN Women's programme analyst Tapati Saha also spoke at the event.
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