Although Bangladesh is a small country with an area of only 55,000 square miles, the population is over 112 million. The military has ruled the country for more than half of the 25 years since the country's independence. As a result, democratic institutions are still too weak to defend the rights of the poor. A large number of child workers are employed in the garment industry while hundreds of thousands of the adult population are unemployed.
Migration from Bangladesh began as early as the 1940s, mainly to Great Britain for settlement, and again in the 1960s, for employment purposes. But an unprecedented mass migration to the oil-rich Middle East took place in the mid-1970s. Abetted by unemployment and poverty at home, and job opportunities and higher wages abroad, young and educated Bangladeshis furthered the expansion to other destinations for overseas work. Now, Bangladeshi migrants are working in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, North America, and Europe. Between 1976 and 1997, over two million workers left the country for employment, and the annual outflow between 1991 and 1996 averaged 200,000. Recent trends see a gradual increase of Bangladeshi migrants in Asian countries. While Saudi Arabia is the most popular destination, Malaysia has been ranked second since 1993, surpassing Kuwait and Oman. Migration of Bangladeshis to Singapore, Korea, and Brunei is also increasing.
Problems facing Bangladeshi migrant workers include:
a) Passport withheld by the employer;
b) Passport misplaced by the Immigration Department;
c) Employers fail to provide them with an identity card in time;
d) Lack of opportunity to change employment;
e) Exploitation by local agents;
f) Slow, irregular, or nonpayment of wages;
g) Inadequate or mismanaged housing and medical facilities;
h) Use of an alternative contract (contract substitution);
i) Domestic workers are treated badly, physically assaulted; and sexually abused by the employers and employers' family;
j) Police harassment.
The government has been playing an active role in the migration process in contrast to its passive role in the 1960s. Maximizing the potential of overseas migration is the major policy goal; and reducing unemployment, easing balance of payment problems, obtaining transfer of technology, stronger economic and political ties with labor receiving countries, and utilization of remittances are among the major objectives. Different institutional facilities have been developed to aid in realizing these policy objectives. The Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) was established in 1976 with the responsibility of monitoring the flow of overseas migration; labor attachs have been posted to major labor receiving countries to monitor labor markets and the welfare of workers; and legislative measures have been enacted to maximize market opportunities.
On November 15, 1990, a welfare fund known as "Wage Earners Welfare Fund" was formed for migrant workers and their families, which is governed and controlled by the Board of Directors set up by the government. Workers contribute to the overseas workers welfare fund with an initial installment of Tk 5,000 crore to BMET, and then later to the Bangladesh embassies in the receiving countries.
BMET supervises the fund and has the following responsibilities:
a) Briefing of workers before going overseas for employment;
b) Information about insurance covering death, partial disablement, accident and temporary unemployment;
c) Education of children of migrant workers who are living in Bangladesh;
d) Provision of legal aid to the dependents of the migrant workers;
e) Increasing awareness programs among workers who intend to travel overseas through notices in magazines, newspapers, radio and television;
f) Seeking compensation for death;
g) Receiving the body of dead migrant workers at the airport and swift hearing of legal prosecution;
h) Communication with relevant Embassies and High Commissions to deal with fatalities;
i) Distribution of money to the family members for burial purpose for dead migrant workers.
The government has no comprehensive reintegration scheme for returning migrants. Sometimes the education funds for migrant children are used for other purposes, such as general educational schemes, or the fund may be offered for other local purposes by a political leader.
The Immigration Ordinance of 1982 is the basic migration law of Bangladesh and specifies rules and regulations for migrant workers. Besides promoting immigration, overseeing recruiting agencies and regulating emigration, the ordinance also sets recruiting fees.
A recent survey undertaken by Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) identified the socio-economic conditions of migrant workers and their families. Much time, energy, and money is sacrificed in the migration process. Generally, would-be migrants raise money by selling their land and taking loans on high interest, sometimes as high as 10% per month. Their main expenditure is incurred on repayment of loans and for arranging important social events like weddings, etc. So migration makes a marginal differences to their living standards.
Since 1976, the government has adopted the following procedures for employment of Bangladeshi workers in foreign countries:
a) Recruitment through the government: BMET is a government overseas employment department under the Ministry of Labour and Manpower. BMET is responsible for processing demands when received from foreign employers. A little more than 2% of migrant workers are recruited through this channel;
b) Recruitment through public limited companies: Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) is an autonomous body that handles skilled labor and acts as the government body responsible for recruiting workers to Malaysia. Less than 0.4% of migrant workers are recruited through this channel;
c) Private recruiting agencies: There are about 402 valid recruiting agencies in the private sector who procure and process demands from foreign employers. The recruiting agencies charge fees prescribed by the government and they are required to obtain prior permission from the government. Since 1976 about 43% of total migrant workers were recruited through the recruiting agencies;
d) Individual relations: The workers or their relatives working abroad are also allowed to make direct contact with the employer. The employment contract and the terms of employment are examined by the BMET before giving emigration clearance. The majority (54%) of migrant workers are recruited through this channel.
There is a concern over an estimated 50,000 Bangladeshi recently detained in Thailand. Most of the detainees fled from Malaysia when the Malaysian government began its crackdown on undocumented migrant workers. Among the detainees are those who come to Thailand as tourists and then proceed to Malaysia for employment.
Sabur M.A. describes below the problems faced by the detainees in Thailand over conditions in detention camps and the slow repatriation process:
The Thai government provides the detainees with food, accommodation and transportation. However, there are problems such as cramped living quarters (some 150-180 persons are accommodated in one room) or food (some detainees cannot adjust to a different diet). Most detainees cannot speak English or Thai, and they are unable to explain their situation. On the average, detainees stay in the centre for 4-6 months.
Repatriation of detainees may take some time. First, detainees need to ask their relatives or their agent to raise $200 to cover airfare and other travel expenses. This is the major hurdle for repatriation. The next step is somewhat easier. Once money or communication from partner NGOs is received in Thailand, arrangements for the air ticket can be made. This stage may take 7-14 days. (Sabur, M.A., "The Plight of Bangladeshi Migrant Workers," Asian Migrant, Vol. 10, No. 2, 1996, p. 64).
The Bangladesh Embassy assists the detainees by visiting the detention center from time to time. The embassy issues travel documents to those who have lost their passports. The embassy, however, cannot shoulder the cost of return tickets of the detainees, which is the major problem of detainees.
In 1993, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK - established in 1986) submitted a memorandum to the government of Bangladesh on the rights and protection of the migrant workers. In 1995, ASK met with the Foreign Secretary on the same topic and on December 23, 1996, ASK prepared a summary of migration policies for migrants in Malaysia, to show their negative impact.
On December 19, 1997, the cabinet decided to ratify the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990). However, this has not yet been operationalized.
This country report was compiled from the following sources:
Chaudhury, Salma (Ain O Salish Kendra - ASK), Labour Migration - A Perspective from Bangladesh, paper submitted at the "Regional Lobby and Documentation Training on Migrants' Human Rights," February 16-22, 1998, Hong Kong.
Mahmood, Raisul Awal, "Data on Migration from Bangladesh," in Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Vol. 4 No. 4, 1995, pp. 531- 542.
M.A. Sabur, "The Plight of Bangladeshi Migrant Workers," Asian Migrant, Vol. 10, No. 2, 1996, pp. 64-65.