Statement
by H.E. Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, the Hon'ble
Adviser for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Expatriates'
Welfare and Overseas Employment Labour Attaché
Training Workshop at Pan-Pacific Sonargaon Hotel 23
March 2008 at 0930 hrs
Mr.
Secretary
Ms. Rabab Fatima,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Eminent Members of the Civil Society
I am pleased to be here this morning to inaugurate
the training programme for the Bangladesh Labor Attachés.
My deep appreciation is owed to the International
Organization for Migration for arranging this workshop.
I would also like to thank DFID for supporting the
Ministry and the IOM for this very important initiative.
Many thanks to Ms. Rabab Fatima for her warm words
of welcome, and also for her efforts with regard to
this event. I have seen the programme and I am positive
all participants will benefit enormously therefore.
We
can hardly over-emphasize the role of migration and
remittances in our economic development. Remittances
- from over 4.5 million Bangladeshis living overseas
- now exceed 10 per cent of our GDP. This is nearly
five times larger than the ODA and ten times larger
than the FDI we received last year. The potential
for further increasing the remittances is immense.
This year a record number of 8,32,000 have gone abroad.
We have received back US $6.5 as remittances, also
a record. We must pursue coherent and consistent policies
to realize the full potentials. This initiative to
train our Labour Attaches falls within the broad rubric
of our migration policy.
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Our
Labor Wings abroad serve as the gateway for our labor
flows into the destination countries. These are there
to bridge the gap between the employers and prospective
migrant workers. You - as Labor Attaches - must be
at the forefront to ensure that Bangladesh gets its
due share of new jobs in your countries of assignment.
You must remain vigilant, not only about current jobs
but also about future employment opportunities. The
information you would provide will help us develop
the skills required for new jobs in the destination
countries. We expect you to be pro-active in your
role. Please do not wait for employers to come to
you. You must reach out and build rapport with them
so that Bangladeshi workers become their choice. This
is critical to maintaining and expanding our market
shares in those countries.
It
is equally important that the Labour Attaches remain
fully engaged in protecting the rights of our workers.
Migrant workers often face discrimination, maltreatment
and abuse in the host countries. They are often unfamiliar
with the host culture. They at times end up as silent
victims, lacking competencies in local languages and
knowledge about the legal system. The redressal mechanisms
remain inaccessible. This adversely affects the morale
and productivity of our workers. We must not allow
our workers to sink in misery, without receiving necessary
assistance from our Labour Wings.
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
I
am acutely aware of the constraints our Labour Wings
face in fulfilling their mandates. They are chronically
under-staffed. Also under-resources. But this should
not be an excuse for our failings, especially in failing
to treat our workers with minimum respect. Often just
a sympathetic hearing from an official can help alleviate
some of their sufferings. The Bangladesh Missions
abroad must maintain their humane touch. You must
take the spirit of service and empathy to your heart.
I do not expect that you would be able to solve all
their problems. But I do expect you to remain compassionate
at all time. This is not too much for the nation to
expect from you. Remember our workers are not simply
remittance generating machines. It is our responsibility
to look after them. You have therefore a three fold
duty: welfare, welfare and welfare.
To
ensure that our workers receive fair treatment and
a living wages, it is an imperative that you hone
your negotiating skills. We must vigorously pursue
to raise the wages of our workers. This may require
you to collaborate extensively with the Attaches of
other labour sending countries. There should be concerted
efforts to ensure that the countries of origin do
not undercut each other. We must build a broad coalition
to set a mutually agreed minimum living wages for
the migrant workers. This will have significant welfare
enhancing effect. And for this, you must intensify
your diplomatic efforts, not just vis-à-vis
the government counterparts, but also vis-à-vis
the employers and your colleagues in other Missions.
The Ministry has prepared requisite quick lines for
you. The Government has a 7-point programme with which
you must familiarize yourself. These will assist you
in our tasks and hopefully enhance your skills.
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
The
world is fast embracing economic integration. The
process of globalization has dismantled barriers to
trade. Goods now move freely among countries. There
is also now little restriction in capital mobility.
The fear of capital flight forces many governments
to treat foreign investments preferentially. Despite
full liberalization in goods and capital markets,
the integration of labor markets still face insurmountable
challenges. While foreign capitals receive preferential
treatment, foreign labour often faces negative discrimination.
We must end this double standard. There should be
renewed efforts to put labour and capital at par.
Host countries must not take foreign labour for granted.
They must ensure that the migrant workers receive
full national treatment without discrimination. The
Labour Attaches are on the frontline to achieve this
objective.
Before
I conclude, let me bid each one of you a personal
welcome to Dhaka. You, too, as our representatives
abroad, are a source of our pride. I am sure you feel
honoured to be an agent of this country. I am glad
you are here on the eve of our Independence Day. This
nation was forged on the fiery anvil of searing experiences:
the betrayal at Palassey, the sacrifices of the language
movement, and the spirit of the War of Liberation.
We hold dear our sense of sovereign independence and
will protect it with zeal and passion. Servility and
dependence are matters of the past. Today we are alleviating
poverty, spreading education and accelerating grow
the take back the message that a new tiger is being
born in Asia, this one a Royal Bengal.
Thank
you.
