Hiren Pandit: Remittances are one of the significant sources of foreign exchange in Bangladesh. This remittance is sent by Bangladeshi workers working in different countries. There are also middle-class and some upper-class Bangladeshi citizens abroad. The middle class is engaged in various professions abroad. Doctors, engineers, teachers, professors, and other professionals are among them. Abroad, people in these professions earn a satisfactory income. However, the remittances such professionals send to the country are only a fraction of the total remittance income. The revenue that the workers earn is by no means satisfactory. There are allegations that Bangladeshi workers working abroad get paid less than workers in other countries due to incorrect negotiating.
The Ministry of Labor and Manpower was established on 20 January 1972 to revive the war-torn, newly independent Bangladesh economy. Then, from the mid-seventies, workforce exports to the Middle East began. Men, as well as women, began to change their destiny. As the country’s economic development wheel started turning through their remittances, so did unemployment. A separate ministry named ‘Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment’ was formed on 20 December 2001.
Expatriate men, as well as expatriate women, are playing an essential role in the economy of Bangladesh. The migration of women workers started in 1991 with the sending of 189 women workers abroad. According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, there are currently one crore 26 lakh 44 thousand 56 expatriates in 179 countries, of which about 1 million are women workers. In a country with a large population, more than 2 million male and female workers are being added to the labor market every year, but the employment rate is much lower than this. As a result, we are forced to think about labor migration. According to a survey, women are far ahead of men in sending money to the country because they send almost all of their income to the government.
Bangladeshi women are also now working as expatriate workers. The number of women workers working abroad is not very low. The experience of women working in foreign lands is also not pleasant. Many expatriate women go to the Middle East as domestic workers. Since 2014, many women workers have started going to Saudi Arabia. These women workers are also being cheated in various ways due to dishonest syndicates, besides increasing the cost of emigration to UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, etc. Due to the intermediaries, a large amount of money has to be counted. But despite spending too much money and accepting so much sacrifice, they suffer from various problems. Women who go abroad as laborers are not well educated and unskilled, which is why those who do not have other qualifications and skills have to work as housemaids in different houses. They have to work long hours because there are no specific contracts or vacation arrangements. They don’t get paid properly; in the meantime, many women are also physically abused if they have a small job. Many women are subjected to various forms of intimidation and sexual harassment.
State Embassies have been set up abroad to provide various facilities and protect the interests of the locals. However, many women workers cannot complain to the embassy if they are tortured. Many of them hesitate to complain of fear of embarrassment.
These expatriate workers work hard on foreign soil. Their food and accommodation facilities are also unsatisfactory. The income of migrant workers enriches Bangladesh’s economy. Remittances from expatriate workers are used for goods imported to Bangladesh from abroad. Remittances from expatriate workers play a vital role in financing Bangladesh’s imports. In this sense, remittances contribute to wealth inequality in the country. Last year, about 70,000 women workers migrated to different countries, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, for employment. However, this number was only 22 thousand in 2020. In November last year, a record number of 11,000 women workers went abroad. However, no specific information is available about women workers going abroad.
The whole matter depends on the agreement reached with Bangladesh on labor export with other countries. In addition, demand in labor-importing countries is also a significant regulator. Many women workers from the Philippines go to work in Middle Eastern countries. In comparison, female workers in the Philippines earn much more than Bangladeshi women workers. Women workers in the Philippines are pretty competent. According to various sources, they use their smartness to force employers to exercise restraint, which is not very common among Bangladeshi women workers. Women workers who could not survive abroad would not be in danger if they knew how to write. Policymakers will be able to formulate necessary policies for the welfare of expatriate women workers. Policymakers also need to do more about the problems of poor people in this country.
Although the labor wing of the Bangladesh embassy is self-sufficient, there are allegations that the desired service is not being provided. Motivation, on the other hand, encourages staff and officers to perform their duties. To succeed in any project, it is necessary to formulate sound policies and their proper implementation. Bangladesh is still at the bottom of the international labor market. The way to eliminate the problem of low-level employment is to create a skilled workforce with quality training.
It often comes to our notice in the media that many of the women workers have to work non-stop for long periods. Apart from not paying a proper salary on time and not being allowed to eat for a long time, he has returned to the country after suffering from insecurity and physical and mental torture. According to statistics, 35% of women returning from abroad are victims of physical or sexual abuse, and 44% of women are not paid their dues. In 2020 of the epidemic, 4 lakh 25 thousand 696 workers have returned from abroad, out of which 50 thousand 619 are women. Most of these women are victims of torture in one way or another. As a result, these women workers have been subjected to degrading and inhumane treatment even after returning to the country.
According to a research report on the social and economic status of migrant women workers returning to the country, 55 percent of the returning women workers are physically ill, 29 percent are mentally ill, and 6 percent have not received treatment for mental illness.
Even after this, Bangladeshi women go to different countries, including the Middle East, hoping to change their destiny with the dream of bringing prosperity to the family. The foreign exchange reserves are increasing due to their remittances. But the smiles on the faces of many of them are disappearing. The families concerned are studying in the deep sea. Women workers must be trained before being sent to the Middle East or other parts of the world. The government must provide all kinds of security to women workers. Women should be sent to caregivers, garments, or other occupations instead of domestic work. In case of any harassment or harassment of women workers in exile, it is necessary to provide immediate assistance to them. The Embassies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Employment and Expatriate Welfare, and Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training, must come forward and ensure their safety to ensure technical training of workers, an increase of employment opportunities, and protection and rights of migrant workers in line with the global market.
The ILO works to protect the rights of migrants or workers in the country. There are several international conventions. We want the whole world to accept these conventions. This will ensure the rights of any worker. Social protection should be created to protect the rights of workers. If any worker’s rights are violated, all parties can solve the problem through negotiation. The private sector must be included at all levels. The last important aspect of the ILO is social security. In 2013, there was a new law on immigrants. The new policy has been made in 2016. A new rule has been adopted in 2016. In 2016, a Welfare Act was approved. The government has shown sincerity in enacting laws. Now, the government should implement these laws properly. Otherwise, immigrants will not be able to enjoy the consequences. The government should take the initiative to make the issue of expatriate welfare more prosperous in every district so that the families of the migrants can take the desired service. It is essential to take these services to the next level.
Hiren Pandit is an essayist
and a researcher.