Media’s proactive role a must: speakers

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday stressed the need for media's proactive role in addressing different challenges in the country's labour migration sector.

Besides, they stressed the need for inter-ministerial coordination as well as public-private partnership in different areas of labour migration to overcome the existing challenges.

Bangladesh Parliamentarians' Caucus on Migration and Development (BPCMD) and WARBE Development Foundation, with support from British Council's project "Prokas" and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, organised the participatory dialogue between the caucus and media professionals at a city hotel.

The dialogue was addressed by present and former parliamentarians, media professionals and migrant rights activists.

Highlighting parliamentarians' role and BPCMD's activities for migration sector development, WARBE chairman Syed Saiful Haque said there is a need for promoting such activities in media to ensure migrant workers' rights.

He said recommendations generated from the dialogue could be helpful for the caucus for future activities.

In her keynote presentation, BPCMD secretary general Mahjabeen Khaled said advocacy and building awareness are among the major activities of the caucus.

Since its inception, the caucus has been working nationally, regionally and internationally with participation in global forums to uphold migrant workers' rights, she said.

She stressed for future collaboration between the caucus and media professionals for migrants' wellbeing.

Mahjabeen also said a "one-stop service centre" under public-private partnership should be created in the country for providing all kinds of support to migrant workers.

Reaz Ahmad, executive editor of English-language daily Dhaka Tribune, said human trafficking posed a big challenge to the migration sector whereas the caucus can play effective role in eliminating trafficking nexus.

BPCMD member and former lawmaker Nabi Newaz stressed the need for categorising recruiting agencies based on their performances to ensure safe migration.

Lawmaker and BPCMD member Ahsan Adelur Rahman said proper skills certification of Bangladeshi migrant workers, especially in the caregiving sector, can create job opportunities for them in the North American and European countries.

BPCMD member and reserved seat lawmaker Adiba Anjum Mita said arranging separate accommodation for female migrant workers in the host countries could prevent them from being exploited by their employers.

Reserved seat lawmaker Khodeza Nasreen Akhter Hossain, former lawmaker and BPCMD member Selina Jahan Lita, and journalists Rabiul Islam, Mohsinul Karim, Miraz Hossain Gazi and Mustafizur Rahman, among others, spoke at the dialogue.