Shama urges bridging gaps to strengthen migration governance

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has stressed the government’s renewed emphasis on strengthening migration governance by enhancing linkages between Bangladesh’s international commitments, national policies and grassroots-level realities.

Shama made the remarks during a discussion meeting titled “Renewed Government Initiative for Ensuring Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” held at the foreign ministry on Monday and chaired by her, according to a press release.

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin attended the meeting as special guests.

In her remarks, the state minister referred to the changing global labour market scenario, stressing the importance of aligning skills and training with employment opportunities in the destination countries, diversifying labour markets and expanding regular migration pathways.

Drawing on experiences from her constituency, she expressed concern over irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as well as emerging forms of recruitment fraud, including those facilitated through digital platforms.

Shama emphasised that “protection abroad must begin with prevention at home.”

During the visit, Nurul highlighted the importance of migrant-friendly policies and accessible service delivery through field-level administration.

Mahdi Amin joined the meeting virtually and appreciated the timely initiative. He called for enhanced field-level engagement to promote safe and regular migration.

The deputy commissioners of 14 migration-prone districts shared district-level experiences and challenges relating to migration trends, skills gaps, recruitment practices, irregular migration and need for migrant protection.

Representatives of the participating Ministries and government agencies informed the DCs on the government’s priorities and longer-term perspectives for strengthening migration governance and promoting safe, orderly and regular migration.

The discussion underscored the importance of strengthening information-sharing and coordination through a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach, so that grassroots-level realities can be better reflected in national policymaking and Bangladesh’s diplomatic engagements.

In this context, relevant information received from Bangladesh Missions abroad on labour-market demand, destination-country requirements and emerging regular migration pathways was shared with the DCs to support informed action at the local level.

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As the former permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referred to Bangladesh’s international commitments on migration and highlighted skills development, language proficiency and grassroots-level awareness as three key priorities.

Ambassador Dr Md Nazrul Islam, secretary (Bilateral-East & West) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his concluding remarks, informed that the ministry would compile the decisions and recommendations emerging from the discussion to formulate a coordinated policy response and outline the way forward.

Senior officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment, and home affairs; BOESL; deputy commissioners of 14 migration-prone districts (Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Chandpur, Chattogram, Dhaka, Noakhali, Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Sunamganj); the chief of mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM); and other relevant stakeholders participated in the meeting.