Khaleq Mallick, Joint Secretary (Planning and Development Division) of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare , told Prothom Alo that many of the workers returning from abroad are unemployed. They are living a very inhuman life with their families. They are also mentally disturbed. They can’t do anything because of financial difficulties. The project has been taken considering their words.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and immigration at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, a total of 4,7,408 expatriate Bangladeshis returned to the country from January to December last year. Two lakh workers will be selected from among them based on their interests, family status, financial status and needs. A committee will be formed with the Deputy Commissioner and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) to select the staff. Apart from this, another 23,500 workers will be selected and given certificates from various government agencies.
In the first phase, two lakh workers will be selected from 32 districts. The districts considered as immigrant areas are Dhaka, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Pabna, Bogra, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Barisal, Khulsha, Patu , Feni, Noakhali, Chandpur, Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Comilla, Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
How employment will be
The selected two lakh expatriate workers will be divided into different groups knowing what they want to do. With an example, an official of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare said that someone used to drive a car abroad, but now he does not have a certificate, he will be given a certificate after examination from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BTRC). If you want with that certificate, the worker can go abroad again. Or you can drive in the country. If the employee needs financial assistance, he will be provided a loan through the Micro Credit Regulatory Authority (MRA). If a repatriated worker expresses interest in becoming an entrepreneur, he or she will be trained at the SME Foundation and given a loan from there.
If someone shows interest in working in a big company, if he has that qualification, he will be given a job by training at the Industrial Technical Support Center (BITAC). If you want to go abroad again, that arrangement will be made. During this training, each of the two lakh returning workers will be paid Rs. 13,500 as honorarium.
Planning Commission Member (Secretary) Sharifa Khan told Prothom Alo that the main objective of the project is to create employment. If success is achieved from here, the number of employees will be further increased in the future.