Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding with Libya, aiming to expand labour market for Bangladesh, send more workers through regular channels, and ensure their safety.

The MoU will play a pivotal role in preventing irregular migration of Bangladeshis to Libya, the Expatriates' Welfare Ministry said in a press release yesterday.

The MoU on "joint cooperation in the field of recruitment of workers" was signed between the ministry and Libyan labour and rehabilitation ministry on Wednesday in Tripoli.

Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad signed the MoU.

The minister requested the Libyan authority to implement a "zero migration cost" policy for Bangladeshi workers and ensure their social protection there.

He also urged Libya to acknowledge the workers' prior learning certifications granted by Bangladesh authorities, ease the process of sending remittances through banking channels, and regularise undocumented Bangladeshis without complications.

Bangladesh has sent about 1.22 lakh migrant workers to Libya for employment since 1976 till June this year, says Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training data.

Following the civil war in Libya in 2011, about 36,000 Bangladeshis were repatriated from the North African country.

Later in 2012 and 2015, the government banned migration of workers to Libya over security reasons. It lifted the embargo in February last year.

Shariful Hasan, associate director of Brac Migration Programme, told The Daily Star that while the MoU is a positive sign, it should be questioned whether Libya's instability and workers' vulnerabilities, along with other issues that prompted Bangladesh to impose the embargo, were considered before inking it.

Currently, an estimated 20,000- 25,000 Bangladeshis, including the undocumented ones, are believed to be residing in Libya, according to an official of the Bangladesh embassy in Tripoli.