Govt, opposition unite on migrant welfare, faster passport services, ending airport harassment

The government and opposition lawmakers have voiced bipartisan support for improving the welfare of Bangladeshi migrant workers, calling for faster passport services, stronger legal protections, an end to airport harassment, and efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities.

The issue was discussed in parliament on Tuesday (10 June) under Rule 147 following a motion tabled by Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman on addressing passport-related, legal and administrative challenges faced by Bangladeshi expatriates.

During the debate, Shafiqur Rahman proposed the formation of a parliamentary task force to monitor migrant welfare and address long-standing grievances, including delays in passport issuance and renewal, inadequate support from Bangladeshi missions abroad, and complications in repatriating the bodies of deceased workers.

Responding to the debate, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed welcomed the opposition leader's motion, saying he had "spoken like a national leader today."

He agreed that remittance warriors deserve to be honoured as national heroes, and said parliament could formally recognise them as such through discussion.

He agreed that remittance warriors deserve to be honoured as national heroes, and said parliament could formally recognise them as such through discussion.

On the task force proposal, the minister said the relevant parliamentary standing committees, once constituted, could address many of these issues.

Salahuddin added that the labour ministry could consider forming a dedicated task force after further deliberation.

To ensure migrants are accorded proper respect and priority at airports, he proposed a joint working committee comprising the ministries of home affairs, expatriate welfare, foreign affairs, and civil aviation.

Passport and NID reforms

On passport difficulties, the minister said e-passport services are now operational in 71 of Bangladesh's 73 missions abroad.

Expatriates can now apply using their birth registration certificate alongside their national identity card. Passports are being issued without police verification, and a system has been put in place to dispatch passports to missions within 72 hours via international courier.

He acknowledged difficulties caused by outsourcing firms in countries such as Malaysia – where biometric enrolment and passport collection require separate visits – and said the government is working to resolve the issue.

Malaysia labour market and trafficking crackdown

The minister said the prime minister will visit Malaysia soon, with reopening and expanding the labour market among the primary objectives of the trip. He said a charge sheet has recently been filed against 100 individuals in a case linked to human trafficking and money laundering that he said occurred under the previous government.

He described the deaths of Bangladeshi migrants in the Mediterranean while attempting to reach Italy via Libya through traffickers as deeply tragic, and said action is being taken against such networks. A standing order has been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the bodies of deceased migrants are repatriated as swiftly as possible.

Other lawmakers' concerns

Several other MPs raised specific concerns during the debate.

Noakhali-6 lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud alleged that many recruiting agencies are sending workers abroad illegally using fake demand letters, leaving them destitute.

Noakhali-3 MP Barkat Ullah Bulu said Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia are largely confined to low-income jobs and earn less than their Pakistani and Nepali counterparts, and called on the foreign ministry and embassies to investigate exploitation.

Mymensingh-6 lawmaker Kamrul Hasan asked about the government's investment plans for migrant workers and called for them to be recognised as partners in national prosperity.

Cumilla-6 MP Monirul Haq Chowdhury alleged widespread irregularities in overseas manpower recruitment and called for swift prosecution of those responsible for deaths along illegal migration routes.