A/HRC/53/26/Add.3
Orderly and Regular Migration and to bring greater accountability and transparency to, inter
alia, recruitment processes, the situation of women migrant workers and the reintegration
process for returning migrant workers.
23.
In addition, Bangladesh enacted the following regulatory frameworks: the expatriates’
welfare and overseas employment policy of 2016, the migration management rules of 2017,
the Wage Earners Welfare Board Act, 2018, the policy guidelines for mandatory life and
disability insurance for migrant workers of 2019, the license and code of conduct rules for
recruitment agents of 2019, the classification rules for recruitment agents of 2020 and the
action plan to implement the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment policy of 2020.
The draft national reintegration policy for migrants and the draft wage earners welfare board
rules for recruitment are before the relevant bodies for adoption.
24.
In its eighth five-year plan, 2020–2025, Bangladesh has set out a 10-point agenda,
entitled “Paradigm shift agenda for overseas employment and well-being of migrant
workers”.
25.
Bangladesh has also enacted the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking
Act, 2012, to combat trafficking in persons, in particular given that many migrant workers
and Rohingya refugees are victims thereof.
26.
Bangladesh has initiated or participated, in collaboration with various stakeholders,
including United Nations agencies, other Governments and development partners, many
other regulatory frameworks.
C.
National institutions
27.
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment is the principal
ministry that overseas matters related to overseas migration and employment. Within the
ministry are four key departments:
(a)
Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, which provides Bangladeshi
workers with smart cards, biometric registration and immigration clearance and explores
opportunities for labour forces outside the country;
(b)
Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, which ensures that welfare services are
provided to migrant workers and their families, at home and abroad, and provides services,
including pre-departure briefings for outgoing workers, and support to migrants during
departure and arrival through help desks at the three main international airports;
(c)
Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited, which was
established as a public recruiting company to ensure fair and professional competition in
migration, the selection of the right person for the right employment among foreign
employers and safe and low-cost migration;
(d)
Probashi Kallyan Bank, a State-owned specialized financial institution that
provides financial services to Bangladeshi migrants and maintains the Wage Earners’
Welfare Fund to enhance the welfare of migrant workers by financing various activities.
28.
The Government has established 42 district employment offices under the Bureau of
Manpower, Employment and Training and 64 technical training centres to support
Bangladeshi migrants by providing them with relevant information to assist in preventing the
exploitation of migrants by dalals (subagents or intermediaries). The offices also assist in
conducting pre-departure training so that migrants are well-equipped for employment abroad.
29.
Other key ministries involved in addressing the challenges of migrant workers include
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Children and
Women Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare. Agencies, including the boarder coast
guard and the customs and port authorities, work with law enforcement, including within a
task force to address irregular migration under the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act.
30.
Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh has 29 labour wings in its
embassies and missions, with attachés and other personnel whose areas of focus include the
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