FE Report
Trade union leaders and rights activists have demanded to protect the Bangladeshi migrant workers who are vulnerable to different kinds of exploitation and tortured in many ways at home and abroad.
They said though migrant workers are contributing to the economies of both, the countries of their destinations and origin with their labour, skills and earnings, they are deprived of their basic rights worldwide.
The migrant rights campaigners made the observations at a national consultation on 'Involvement of Trade Unions in Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration', jointly organised by Solidarity Centre Bangladesh and Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) at the BILS seminar hall in the capital on Saturday.
BILS adviser and Bangladesh Labour Federation president Shah Mohammad Abu Jafar who presided over the programme said over 11 million Bangladeshis went abroad with jobs so far, but many of them were forced to work as slaves, especially in the Middle East countries.
"The migrant workers can't enjoy their basic rights," he said, adding that all the rights activists should raise their voices to ensure their rights.
In the opening remarks, Dr Lily Gomes, senior programme officer of Solidarity Centre Bangladesh, said trade unions would have to be involved with the Global Compact on Migration to help ensure safe, orderly and regular overseas jobs for the country's thousands of workers.
The process of global compact started in April last year and it would be finalised by December this year, she said.
The role of trade union is important to ensure decent works for the workers, she observed.
BILS advocacy coordinator Nazrul Islam and Socialist Labour Front general secretary Razequzzaman Ratan presented separate papers at the consultation.
BILS joint secretary general Dr Wazedul Islam Khan said all labour rights organisations should set up new committees on migrations so that they can properly put forward recommendations to the global compact on migration.
BILS executive director Syed Sultan Ahmed, who moderated the consultation, said trade unions would have to play a 'rapid and specific role' in protecting the rights of the country's migrants who were suffering inhuman treatment abroad.
BILS secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan, WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque, Awaj Foundation director Anisur Rahman Khan and Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation president Babul Akhter and BOMSA director Sumaiya Islam, were present at the consultation, among others.
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