Bellal Bin Quashem and Md. Jamal Hossain
Migration is a global phenomenon. In terms of development, many statutory bodies categorize the world consist of developed countries, developing countries and least developed countries. The citizens of the developing and least developed countries have shown a tendency to be migrated to the developed countries. In general point of view, migration from Bangladesh to the developed countries has several facets and it needs to analyze very sincerely.

There are over 258 million migrants around the world living outside their country of origin. This figure is expected to grow for a number of reasons including population growth, increasing connectivity, trade, rising inequality, demographic imbalances, and climate change. Globally, over 68.5 million people are forcibly displaced among which 25.4 million are refugees. To address the growing number of migrants and refugees in a way that upholds the principles of human rights, in 2018, the global leaders adopted two major reports to address issues related to refugees and migration and global levels. It expresses states’ `collective commitment to improving cooperation on international migration.’ It has become important source of employment and plays a vital role in reducing poverty in countries like Bangladesh.

Manpower export is an instrument for increasing foreign exchange earnings and thereby increasing the national income and growth. Remittance has become a dominant variable for economic development of Bangladesh. Recognizing the importance of remittance and migration, the policy makers and the researchers become more attentive to this particular issue. In Bangladesh, Remittances refers to inflows of migrants’ and short-term employee income transfers. Remittances sent from more than 10 million citizens abroad are very important for Bangladesh and along with garment exports are key source of foreign exchange. For Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia has been the largest source of remittances, followed by UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Iraq, Singapore, Malaysia, the US and the UK. Our migrant workers are not only remitting their savings to Bangladesh, but they are contributing to the economy of their host countries. In fact, the developing countries are progressing on the support of these migrant workers. The migrant workers, who are in the foreign countries without valid documents by the grace of unscrupulous agents, are the worst sufferers. Our female workers are also abused either physically or sexually.

Most of the Bangladeshi migrant workers are unskilled workers. Generally, migrant workers are not aware of their rights and responsibilities due to lack of education and awareness. And because of this, they can easily be deprived of their rights. This is true, more or less, for all migrant workers, who are exploited in many ways including deprivation from actual compensation, physical and mental torture, forcing to work against will, not providing proper food or healthy accommodation and medical care, sexual assault (female workers), etc.

Manpower export is an instrument for increasing foreign exchange earnings and thereby increasing the national income and growth. Remittance has become a dominant variable for our economic development.

A few portion of the migrants depart the country for study. They choose European and North American countries for achieving academic excellence. Completing their educational degree, they try to stay there permanently because safety and security, guarantee of standard living and availability of employment make them interest to live there forever. Highly skilled professionals such as university teachers, engineers, doctors, chemists, architects and researchers have severe tendency to acquire skills, professional trainings, PhD and other in-service training and for those they departs for European, North American and other developed countries. After completing the training and attaining degrees, they find the privileges of job opportunities and stay there for secured living.

The corrupt political figures, bureaucrats and their kids and dishonest businessmen have a stronger tendency to amass their assets in the foreign destination and try to settle there. Because they are always finding out the safe zone to enjoy luxurious lives there along with their illegal hoarding assets. According to Global Financial Integrity (GFI) statistics, an average amount of US$7.53 billion is laundered each year from Bangladesh through international trade, which is equivalent to BDT 640 billion. Therefore, Bangladesh is ranked 33th among the 135 developing countries with regard to the amount of money laundered from the country. After the release of GFI reports each year, the responses from the official quarters are routinely similar – warning of taking action or more stringent measures by the ACC. Nothing happens so far. Maximum black money is generated through transaction of spurious goods, drugs trade and human trafficking, according to the Washington-based think-tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI). No reliable research has shown black money returning to the mainstream economy in a big way when opportunity for whitening is provided. The main destinations of black money are foreign territories. For example, a large chunk is deposited in Swiss banks, as the ‘Swiss Banking Act’ of 1934 ensures non-divulgence of information about individual depositors. And some are transferred to tax havens like the USA, Canada, the UK, the UAE, Thailand or Singapore.

The free thinkers, men of different ideology, atheists, fugitive political activists and leaders, dissenting persons and unconventional authors, poet and novelists departs their own land and find safe zones to settle there. These migrated people find safe and secured zones and they prefer liberal European countries as their utmost destination. These dissent people are very much concerned of their life security and for that they find a safe zones where diverse thoughts, ideology, religions and prevail coexistent.

The larger portion of our young people does not have the access to getting job opportunities. Because the availability of employment in our country is very rare. For that they try to go abroad with a view to changing their luck. Most of our young people take the risk to go European and North American countries in order to search better life. Recently many Bangladeshi people died during their migrating challenges to restore the luck.Now come to the point of Bangladesh as a host country for migrants. The Refugee compact has four objectives: Ease pressures on host countries; enhance refugee self-reliance; expand access to third country solutions, and support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity. But Bangladesh, a small territory with huge population, has to nurture the spare 1.1 million migrating Rohingya.The Rohingya lives are endangered, their safety and security are badly hampered and the brutality of Myanmar Army forces them to take shelter on our land. Considering the sense of humanity, our Prime Minister gave them shelter and humanitarian assistances but the Rohingya’s unlawful activities created our land instable and insecure. Our land has to bear this unwanted burden. There is no way to gobble it and also there is no way to vomit it. Now Rohingya issue must be settled to restore stability, security and safety entirely on our land.

Bangladesh has the potential to be the biggest mover in the global gross domestic product rankings in 2030. According to the latest report of HSBC Global Research, the country is becoming the 26th largest economy in the world from 42nd now. However, such growth is tied up with the migrant workers’ hard earned money and how the entire economy will be impacted by climate change and development-induced displacement and migration. The government must develop a safeguard mechanism for the most vulnerable and marginalized migrant workers. Furthermore, the government can also consider the following: 1. At the policy level in Bangladesh, the government can adopt a ‘people’s safeguard policy’ 2. Establish a national tracking mechanism for displaced and migrated people 3. Establish a safety-net mechanism/fund for displaced and forcibly migrated people. As the government is planning to develop 100 economic zones, support developing skills, and of local communities who can be employed within the zone, therefore, reduce displacement and migration.

In summary, it may be transparently pointed out that our mass people who try to migrate in foreign land have the honest intentions to restore their economic conditions. But there is another fraction of people who try to settle in foreign land along with their unearned income. They hoard their illegal assets in their permanent destination and they don’t have any intention to come back but the migrant workers have an intensity to come back. The migrant workers try to boost our economy forwarding the remittance. Their labour and sacrifice uphold our economy with loftiness and their dedication must be counted sincerely.

Bellal Bin Quashem is a poet, writer & columnist He can be reached at [email protected]. Md. Jamal Hossain is researcher & writer. He can be reached at [email protected]