Resource centre launched for safe migration

The Migrant Resource Centre was officially inaugurated on Monday with an aim to provide necessary information to the aspirant overseas migrants for their safe, orderly and systematic migration.

However, the two MRCs, one in Dhaka and another one in Cumilla, remained operational since the establishment of the centres in February last.

The MRC Inauguration ceremony was held at a city hotel in Dhaka. The director general of BMET opened the ceremony while Md. Abu Jafar Ripon, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Dr. Nashid Rizwana Monir, deputy secretary of Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Nurul Kader, representative of the Delegation of the European Union in Bangladesh, Anindata Datta, a representative from Switzerland embassy in Dhaka, Sedef Dearing, the regional coordinator for the Silk Routes at International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Golda Myra Roma, senior Project Manager ICMPD and Captain (Retd.) Ikram Hossain, ICMPD’s country coordinator for Bangladesh were present at the ceremony.

Under the Improving Migration Management project, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development is running the MRCs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Tajikistan, apart from Bangladesh.

The MRCs in Bangladesh are funded by the European Union and the government of Switzerland, working in close cooperation with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The MRCs provide neutral and fact-based migration information, through a variety of platforms, to migrants as well as those considering leaving the country to work and study as well as returnees.

“Migrant Resource Centre is jointly working with the District Employment and Manpower Office in Dhaka and Cumilla in providing information through various platforms,” said Md Shahidul Alam, director general of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) while addressing the ceremony as chief guest.

“Human trafficking and irregular migration will be reduced by these initiatives, and we hope that the ICMPD will establish more MRCs in other districts of Bangladesh as well,” he added.

In addition to create awareness about safe migration, MRC Bangladesh provides referral services to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training, District Employment and Manpower offices, Probashi Kallyan Bank (PKB), Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited, the national helpline number (333 and 999) and other affiliates for various referral services to both intended and returning migrants.

In order to raise awareness at the grassroots level, the MRCs conduct various awareness-raising orientation sessions with Union Parishad (UP), conduct courtyard meetings, and market-based campaigns in Bangladesh.