There should be a special focus on enhancing the skills training of prospective migrant workers, said Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain yesterday.

"We are sending plenty of people [abroad]. Compared to their number, the remittance inflow, if I say per capita remittance, is very low," he said.

There should be a rigorous campaign to connect migrant workers with different government services, particularly to encourage remitters to send money through banking channels.

— Mahbub Hossain, Cabinet secretary

He was addressing a discussion marking International Migrants Day organised by the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry at the Probashi Kalyan Bhaban in the capital.

The cabinet secretary said the expatriates' welfare ministry has to prioritise migrant workers' skills training and increase its involvement in this regard. "The change will not come overnight but we have to put our foot in," he said.

He also said there should be a rigorous campaign to connect migrant workers with different government services, particularly to encourage remitters to send money through banking channels.

Although migrant workers' economic contributions are more often acknowledged, their social contributions should be recognised as well, as each of them serves as a "flag" of Bangladesh, he added.

The cabinet secretary asked the expatriates' welfare ministry officials to take steps to educate prospective migrant workers on the "probash" scheme of the government's universal pension scheme and its benefits.

Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of ILO Bangladesh, said as the world commemorates the migrants' rights and contributions on the day, it is imperative to set eyes on how to improve and come together to address their challenges.

As the global landscape is changing, it is increasingly important that the Bangladesh government supports legal, skilled, and quality labour migration, he said.

"When I say legal and skilled, I don't mean just any kind of work. I mean quality and decent work," he added.

Abdusattor Esoev, chief of mission of IOM Bangladesh, said when the focus is mostly on migration and development, the issues of migrant workers' rights and protection, particularly in destination countries, should not be forgotten.

Much has been done but there is still a lot of work to do, he said, adding that IOM is ready to work in this regard. "We must act together and we need to act now," he added.

Chairing the discussion, senior secretary Ahmed Munirus Saleheen of the expatriates' welfare ministry said all national documents, including the 8th Five Year Plan, have recognised the contributions of expatriate workers.

He said they want to introduce the "employer's pay model," under which employers will bear all the recruitment costs, urging private recruiting agencies to work together with the ministry for the sector's development.

Saleh Ahmed Mujaffor, director general of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training; Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies; Hamidur Rahman, director general of Wage Earners' Welfare Board; Mazibur Rahman, managing director of Probashi Kalyan Bank; and Mallick Anwar Hossain, managing director of Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd, spoke at the discussion.