Bangladesh is set to start enlisting by this month its workers who went abroad without valid documents but were legalised there later for preparing a database in order to provide them necessary facilities and services.
At least 1mn Bangladeshis working abroad without getting clearance at home are expected to come under the existing BMET database, Shafiqul Islam, director of the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (WEWB) said yesterday.
“Preparations have almost been completed. We are expecting to begin their registration by the end of this month,” he said.
The registration will be held with the help of Bangladesh embassies and labour wings in all job- destination countries. Currently, Bangladeshis are working in about 162 countries, he said.
He said many workers secured jobs abroad without immigration clearance and proper documents but somehow managed valid work permits. They will also be included in the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) databank, he said.
Islam said because of being unregistered under the government database, they are deprived of due benefits of the WEWF.
“We also face hassles while providing emergency services to them,” he said.
Migrant workers are provided several facilities from the WEWF including financial grant to the families of dead migrants. It gives 35,000 taka for paying airport-to-burial cost of each deceased migrant and 300,000 taka as financial support to the family of each dead migrant. It also provides stipends to the meritorious children of migrant workers each year.
Besides, the WEWB initiated some projects including launching of insurance scheme and income-generating programme for the expatriate workers.
Abul Basher, former president of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said it is a good decision as workers will be benefited in many ways.
He, however, said expatriate workers become undocumented because of different reasons. “An estimated 2mn workers went abroad without having official clearance,” he disclosed.
More than 10mn Bangladeshis went abroad with clearance since 1976, according to the BMET data.
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