The Bangladesh economy has made remarkable progress over the past decade or so, and one of the cornerstones of this economic success has been the remittance sent home by our tireless migrant workers.
Unfortunately, while there may be praises sung for their significant contributions to Bangladesh’s prosperity, the reality is that time and time again, they have been exploited and taken advantage of, both at home and in the country where they chose to work.
The chief culprits continue to be the nefarious recruitment agencies, who ensnare hapless migrants in scams, extorting vast amounts of money from them before sending them packing to their destinations where they are forced to work illegally, or at the mercy of locals.
Enough is enough. This exploitation of our migrant workers at the hands of these unscrupulous middle-men must end. These workers have sacrificed so much, have had to leave behind their families and work in grueling conditions abroad -- the least the authorities in Bangladesh can do is ensure that they are not taken advantage of, and are safe and secure in their workplaces abroad.
For this, Bangladesh needs to crack down on these middle-men and recruiting agencies and punish them to the fullest extent of the law. Furthermore, the entire process of sending our migrant workers abroad must be made more transparent and easier to understand, so that there is no scope for these recruiting agencies to find loopholes and complexities to ensnare their victims.
Finally, Bangladesh must improve its diplomacy with these countries hosting our expats. Stories of ill treatment from host countries continue to be an all too common occurrence, and Bangladesh must work with the respective authorities of these nations to stop the abuse and ill treatment. Our migrant workers have more than earned the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
