Bangladesh

Cabinet directs three ministries to prevent forced return of migrant workers Expats
File Picture Expat Bangladeshi workers

Cabinet directs three ministries to prevent forced return of migrant workers

Bangladesh Live News | @banglalivenews | 13 Oct 2020, 02:46 pm

Dhaka, October 13: The cabinet has directed three ministries to take strong and coordinated steps to prevent the forced return of workers from abroad in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The directive was given to the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, at a virtual cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.

In a briefing at the Secretariat after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam said the activities of the Ministry of External Affairs during the Covid-19 epidemic were presented at the cabinet meeting.

The meeting directed the three ministeries to coordinate and take effective steps to increase foreign income and prevent the return of workers from abroad.

Regarding the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet Secretary said that economic and diplomatic activities such as 65 lakh PPEs have been exported from Bangladesh to the United States.

Import and export of various medicines related to Covid-19, ensuring food and services for legal and illegal Bangladeshi expatriates, repatriation of dismissed and indebted people with six months salary and allowance if possible, employment of expatriate workers abroad and establishment of small enterprises. Contact has been received for the formation of funds in those countries.

The Cabinet Secretary said that Sweden revised the Prime Minister's request to the Prime Minister of Sweden for the purchase order of the garment industry.

In addition, most of the procurement orders canceled due to the diplomatic activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are returned.

He said the State Department has been in contact with potential vaccine inventors from the outset in coordination with the Ministry of Health to procure the corona vaccine.

As a result, their efforts have played a big role in the possibility of getting a vaccine.