Agreement with KSA on migrant workers coming soon: Asif Nazrul

A landmark agreement between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia on the protection and rights of Bangladeshi migrant workers is expected to be signed soon, Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, has said.

Speaking at the ‘Remittance Warriors Day’ event organised by the ministry at the International Mother Language Institute auditorium in the capital on Saturday (2 August), Nazrul highlighted ongoing efforts to improve the migrant labour sector.

Addressing the challenges faced by Bangladeshi workers, Adviser Nazrul said, “Last year, many workers could not travel to Malaysia despite having visas and plane tickets. The process of sending them is now underway.”

“When I returned from meetings in Dhaka and announced that Malaysia had agreed to take them back, the reaction was fierce. People attacked me on Facebook, saying, ‘There’s no solution for those already undocumented, but now they’re sending new workers again!’ The criticism was relentless - even after we fulfilled a major demand,” Nazrul said.

During the programme, Nazrul announced that a historic agreement with Saudi Arabia is expected within the next two to three weeks.

“This will be the first such agreement in Bangladesh’s history regarding migrant workers. Although previous governments tried repeatedly, it never materialised. Not even India or Pakistan has such an agreement with Saudi Arabia. We believe this will significantly enhance the safety and protection of our migrant brothers and sisters working there,” Adviser Nazrul added.

On reintegration, Nazrul further said the ministry has taken several steps to ease the process and reduce harassment.

“We’ve streamlined the process and digitised operations. You’ll notice the benefits once you begin a new migration journey,” Nazrul added.

Addressing returning migrants, he advised caution before making decisions to go abroad again.

“Please prepare yourself well. Investigate whether your recruiter is legitimate. Don’t be so desperate to go abroad that you skip basic checks. Going abroad doesn’t automatically mean a better life. I've seen the conditions in Saudi Arabia - some workers live worse than those in Bangladesh’s slums, despite spending Tk800,000 to Tk900,000 to get there,” Asif Nazrul further said.

Nazrul further urged migrants to consider alternatives within Bangladesh.

“If you have Tk10 lakh, you can start a small business at home. With 180 million people here, there’s a huge consumer market. Even a small shop can be profitable. I’m not discouraging you from going abroad, but don’t do it in desperation,” Asif Nazrul also said.