TL;DR:
- Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus inaugurated a dedicated Probashi Lounge for Bangladeshi migrant workers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 11, 2024.
- The lounge provides a resting space and subsidized food for migrant workers, aiming to ease their travel experience.
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) sponsored the lounge and is supporting the initiative with nearly 100 volunteers.
- Asif Nazrul and IOM officials praised the contributions of migrant workers, calling them “nation builders” and emphasizing their sacrifices for Bangladesh.
Dhaka, Bangladesh — In a significant step towards improving the travel experience for Bangladeshi migrant workers, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus inaugurated a dedicated lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday, November 11, 2024. The newly opened Probashi Lounge is the first of its kind at the airport and is designed to offer migrant workers a comfortable space to rest, along with access to subsidized food and refreshments.
During the inauguration ceremony, Dr. Yunus emphasized the critical role migrant workers play in Bangladesh’s economy and society. “Our migrant workers are nation builders. In the July-August mass uprising, they played a big role. We will always be grateful to them,” he said, highlighting their contributions both abroad and at home. He further noted that the lounge would ease their travel experience, offering them a much-needed respite during their journeys.
The initiative reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to support the millions of Bangladeshis working overseas. Migrant workers contribute significantly to the country’s economy through remittances, which are second only to earnings from ready-made garment exports. In 2022 alone, Bangladesh received over $21 billion in remittances, making it one of the top remittance-receiving countries globally.
The lounge was established with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which has been actively involved in aiding Bangladeshi migrant workers. Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali, Deputy Chief of the IOM mission in Bangladesh, expressed her satisfaction with the project. “This is an initiative of the honourable Chief Adviser. We are happy to support this initiative,” she stated, adding that IOM has also sponsored nearly 100 volunteers to assist migrants at the airport.
Also present at the event was Asif Nazrul, Adviser on Law and Expatriate Welfare, who paid tribute to the sacrifices made by Bangladeshi migrant workers and members of the diaspora. “They have sacrificed time and again for their homeland,” he remarked during his speech.
The lounge represents a broader effort by both national and international organizations to improve conditions for migrant workers. In recent years, Bangladeshi expatriates have faced numerous challenges abroad, including financial exploitation and workplace abuses. Initiatives like this lounge aim to provide tangible support to these workers as they navigate their journeys home and abroad.
Bangladesh remains one of the largest sources of migrant labor globally, with approximately 1.13 million people migrating for work in 2022 alone. The government has been working closely with international partners like IOM and ILO (International Labour Organization) to ensure better conditions for these workers both during their employment abroad and upon their return home.
As Bangladesh continues to expand its efforts to support expatriates through initiatives such as this lounge and other welfare programs, it is clear that migrant workers remain at the heart of national development strategies.
Source: TB News