Migrant workers played key role in July uprising
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday inaugurated a lounge dedicated for the country's migrant workers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to make sure that they get the honour and facilities like guests for their significant contribution to the country's progress.
"Our migrant workers are nation builders. In the July-August mass uprising, they played a big role. We will always be grateful to them," said Prof Yunus.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The "Probashi Lounge" is the first of its kind at the airport. "We believe this lounge will make their [migrant workers'] travel easy," Prof Yunus said.
It will offer the workers a place to rest and subsidised food for refreshments.
The chief adviser said many more steps will hopefully be taken so that the workers can think that they are at home, and everyone is taking care of them, serving them well.
He said the nation should give the migrant workers the respect they deserve. "Bangladeshi migrants contribute to the country's progress by sending remittances and they should get the proper respect."
Prof Yunus stressed the need for easing the government services for the expatriates and said e-passports should now be issued for them.
Asif Nazrul, the law and expatriates' welfare adviser, and senior officials of the International Organisation for Migration were also present at the event.
Prof Nazrul paid tributes to the migrant workers and millions of members of the country's diaspora who made sacrifices time and again for their homeland.
Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali, acting chief of the IOM mission in Bangladesh, said the UN agency has sponsored the lounge to assist the migrant workers.
"This is an initiative of the chief adviser. We are happy to support this initiative," she said, adding that the IOM is also sponsoring nearly 100 volunteers to help the migrants at the airport.
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Prof Yunus yesterday asked the Bangladesh officials and NGO and civil society leaders to put in extra efforts to highlight the country's climate crisis concerns at the COP29 summit from November 11 to 22.
He made the call in Baku after his arrival in the Azerbaijan capital to lead Bangladesh in the annual UN-led climate summit.
"Our main efforts will be to include our concerns and demands in the final declaration of the COP29," he told the Bangladesh delegation during a coordination meeting at a hotel in Baku.
Prof Yunus will join the main COP29 summit today and speak in at least three major events.
At the meeting, Environment Secretary Farhina Ahmed briefed officials about Bangladesh's stand on some key issues of the conference.
She said Bangladesh has set up nine teams to negotiate in all major areas, including climate finance, loss and mitigation, and just transition and adaptation mechanisms in the summit.
At least 29 NGOs and civil society groups from Bangladesh are joining the COP29, Farhina said.
She said despite assurances from the rich countries in the Global North, Bangladesh has so far received $344 million in grants and $250 million in loans as climate finance.
The UN's biggest climate conference, COP29, is seen as a "pivotal opportunity" to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey Amanul Haq, among others, was present at the airport to receive the chief adviser at 5:15pm (local time).
Prof Yunus, who is leading a small delegation, will return home on November 14, said a senior official at his office.
Global leaders and diplomats from across the world are joining the annual climate summit to discuss how to avoid increasing threats from climate change in a place that was one of the birthplaces of the oil industry.
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