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Published on January 25, 2016
The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the draft policy has been formulated in line with the international laws on migration amending the existing short policy framed in 2006.
He said the policy has put special importance on six policy directions which are encouraging and ensuring safe migration, protection of migrant workers and their family members, ensuring facilities and welfare of migrant workers, migration of female workers, associating migration with national development and proper planning for labour migration.
In the new policy, there are specific directions for various ministries, including the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, home affairs, commerce and civil aviation and tourism, to ensure proper welfare, facilities and safety of migrants.
In this connection, the cabinet secretary said the policy has a particular chapter on female workers' migration to provide safety of the female workers migrating to different countries.
Under the policy, the government will take integrated and participatory programmes in consultations with various stakeholders, including interested female migrants, public and private organizations, trade unions, recruiting agencies, employers as well as concerned international organisations, to strengthen migration process, the cabinet secretary said.
According to the draft policy, the Ministry of Home Affairs would take necessary steps to check human trafficking under the umbrella of labour migration.
Shafiul Alam said that today's cabinet also endorsed the draft of a protocol between the governments of Bangladesh and Turkey on training and cooperation in the field of healthcare between armed forces of the two countries.
Through signing of the protocol, the cabinet secretary said, the existing friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Turkey would be further consolidated.
Besides, a proposal of the Shipping Ministry on ratifying an agreement titled "Inter-Governmental Agreement on Dry Ports" of the UN-ESCAP also got the cabinet nod.
With this initiative, it would be possible to link Bangladesh with the Asian Highway Network and the Trans Asia Railway Network.
Ministers and state ministers in charge of different ministries and concerned secretaries attended the meeting.
Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol
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