Free embassies from corruption and syndicates
Call for one-stop service centers; Abolish dual-citizenship barriers
B Mirror Desk: Bangladesh’s over 10 million expatriates play a crucial role in the promotion of economy, culture, and international relations. Despite their sacrifices and remittance contributions, their rights and dignity remain unfulfilled. During the economic crisis caused by the corrupt and exploitative Awami fascist regime, expatriates were the backbone of Bangladesh’s economy. Moreover, during the July-August 2024 uprising, many expatriates protested by halting remittances and even facing imprisonment in their host countries. Given their sacrifices, the government must now prioritize their rights and welfare, said Asaduzzaman Fuaad, a barrister-at-law and General Secretary of the AB Party, at a media briefing held on Thursday afternoon at its central office.
Key Issues Faced by Bangladeshi Expatriates:
1.Corruption and inefficiency in embassies, causing delays in passport renewals and document processing;
2.Unclear administrative fee structures, making government services inaccessible;
3.Legal and employment crises faced by workers whose visas expired due to job loss, leading to detention and deportation;
4.High costs for repatriating deceased workers, forcing grieving families to bear additional burdens;
5.Delays in disbursing government-declared compensation to the families of deceased expatriates;
6.Criminal networks within embassies, exploiting migrant workers;
7.Loan dependency due to excessive recruitment fees, trapping workers in debt burden for years;
8.Fraudulent recruitment schemes, deceiving workers with fake job offers abroad.
AB Party’s Reform Proposals:
1.Deploy legal officers in all embassies to assist expatriates with legal issues;
2.Appoint Remittance Facilitation Officers in foreign missions to streamline money transfers;
3.Provide legal aid to detained migrants to prevent unfair imprisonment;
4.Simplify expatriate loan processing through banking channels to prevent reliance on loan sharks;
5.Abolish the manpower syndicate and establish direct hiring mechanisms with destination countries;
6.Ensure free repatriation of deceased workers and increase compensation for their families from $3,000 to $6,000;
7.Strengthen property and asset protection laws to prevent land-grabbing and fraud against expatriates;
8.Simplify the process for expatriate voter registration, ensuring their political participation;
9. Abolish dual-citizenship barrier for greater contribution to the motherland and encourage reverse brain-drain;
10. Free embassies from corrupt syndicates to make it more service oriented;
11. Set up a 24/7 one-stop service centre to deal with all the issues affecting the expatriates.
