ZCZC
BSS-48
JS-EXPATRIATES-WELFARE
JS body discusses welfare plans for repatriated workers
DHAKA, March 9, 2021 (BSS) – The 12th meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment was held today at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban under the chairmanship of committee Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud.
The meeting discussed in detail the re-integration of repatriated workers, latest progress in providing loans for re-employed workers, implementation of social security programs, said a press release here.
The post-Covid-19 labor market situation initiatives taken by the ministry to introduce closed or temporarily closed labor market was also discussed at the meeting.
The committee was informed that all recruiting agents should be kept in the list of their legal representatives and submitted to BMET by March 31, 2021 in order to eliminate the violence of the brokers and bring the recruitment activities under transparency and accountability.
The committee opined that if this data base is created, the workers who want to go abroad will be protected from fraud.
During the meeting, it was stated that a scheme involving Tk 700 crore was taken for providing special rehabilitation loans to expatriate workers and family members of those killed in the Corona epidemic through Prabasi Kalyan Bank.
The sum of Tk 500 crore was taken from the government for economic rehabilitation, and the rest from Wage Earners Welfare Board, said the release.
The committee was informed that the loan activities will be conducted in the light of the loan policy.
It was also mentioned in the meeting that a project has been formulated by the Wage Honors Welfare Board with the funding of the World Bank for the re-integration of the returning workers.
Members of the committee Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmed, Prof Mohammad Ali Ashraf, Moazzem Hossain Ratan, Ayesha Ferdous, Mohammad Sadeq Khan and Mohammad Iqbal Hossain were present at the meeting.
BSS/PR/RQ/MRU/2203hrs