President calls for safe migration, decent employment

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday called for safe migration, decent employment and skills development to strengthen Bangladesh’s position in the global labour market.
“Let us build a Bangladesh where migration will be safe, employment will be decent, and a skilled workforce will strengthen the country’s position in the global market,” he said at a programme marking the 30th anniversary of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) and the Sonar Manush Sammilan-2026 at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.
The President urged the government, opposition and other stakeholders to work together to protect migrants’ rights and ensure their dignity.
He said expatriate Bangladeshis sent more than US$35 billion in remittances in the 2025-26 financial year, highlighting their vital contribution to the economy.However, he lamented that many workers went abroad without adequate skills or proper documentation, leaving them vulnerable to poor working conditions and exploitation.
Drawing on his experience of seeing the hardships faced by expatriate Bangladeshis, he said their sacrifices and contributions deserved the highest respect.
The President also highlighted the rising costs of overseas employment, saying workers now often had to pay Tk500,000-600,000, unlike the arrangements described during the tenure of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, when Saudi Arabia planned to recruit 10,000 workers with travel costs covered. 

He called on the authorities to take punitive action against unscrupulous intermediaries, influential individuals and fraudulent recruitment agencies.
Highlighting initiatives to develop skilled manpower and protect expatriates, he mentioned vocational training centres at upazila level, the proposed Expatriate Card and loan facilities for migrant workers.
He also urged the relevant minister to give serious attention to implementing the proposed ‘Migration Decade’ and called for collective efforts to improve migrant protection.
The President thanked expatriates for their contribution to the struggle against fascism, adding that international seminars and conferences could help make migration safer and better planned.
Earlier, he presented Sonar Manush Sammanana Smarak awards and crests in seven categories.
RMMRU Executive Director Dr Tasneem Siddiqui presented the keynote paper, while Deputy Executive Director Motasim Billah delivered the welcome address. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury and the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Zahir Uddin Swapon also attended the event.

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