Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad has said a total of 3,26,758 migrant workers returned home after losing their jobs from April 1 to November 30 this year.
The minister gave the information at a press conference on Friday on the occasion of ‘International Migration Day-2020 at the city’s Probashi Kallyan Bhaban.
Imran Ahmad said his ministry has provided different supports to the returnee workers.
“So far, the government has given Tk 7.0 billion for creating a loan scheme for returned migrant workers. Of the amount, Tk 2.0 billion has been created for the Covid-impacted migrant workers,” he said.
“If necessary the government will provide Tk 5.0 billion more to increase the fund to help the workers’ income-generating activities,” he mentioned.
The minister said the government will continue its diplomatic initiative to help the migrant workers came home ‘on leave’ to go back to their job destination countries to join the workplace.
He also said he has kept communication with his Malaysian counterpart aiming to create opportunities to open the market for Bangladeshi workers.
“A joint working group meeting between the two countries will be held soon,” he said.
Mr Ahmad said although the sector is passing through a hard time, the inflow of remittance increase to the country thanks to various initiatives by the government.
“But it is difficult to say that what will be happened in the future if the outflow of workers abroad doesn’t get the normal shape,” he added.
Workers sent US$ 10.9 billion remittances in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2020-21) which is 41.33 per cent more than that of the corresponding period of the previous financial year, he added.
