Dhaka: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Sunday called for enhanced international cooperation to expand regular migration pathways and prevent irregular migration, promote ethical recruitment, and strengthen the skills of prospective migrants in line with evolving international labor-market demands.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Shama Obaed sought the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) support in matching Bangladesh’s workforce with global demand, promoting talent mobility, and facilitating talent partnerships with destination countries, including in healthcare, caregiving, and agriculture. These issues were discussed when Deputy Director General (DDG) of Operations of the IOM, Ugochi Daniels, paid a courtesy call on her in Dhaka. Accompanying Daniels were Iori Kato, Regional Director of IOM for Asia and Pacific, and Priya Marwah, Special Adviser to the IOM-DDG, along with senior officials of the ministry.
The State Minister underscored the importance of protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers, particularly women, through awareness raising and appropriate support services. She appreciated IOM’s assistance in evacuating and repatriating stranded Bangladeshi nationals from crisis-affected countries and called for continued cooperation on safe return and sustainable reintegration, climate-related mobility, and coordinated action against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Shama Obaed also expressed gratitude for IOM’s humanitarian assistance for the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals and called for international efforts to create conditions conducive to their safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation to Myanmar. Ugochi Daniels lauded the Bangladesh Government’s approaches and initiatives towards establishing sustainable migration governance and appreciated Bangladesh’s leadership in championing safe, orderly, and regular migration in global discourse.
Both sides expressed their commitment to further strengthening the Bangladesh-IOM partnership in advancing safe, orderly, and regular migration, protecting migrants’ rights, and supporting Bangladesh’s migration and humanitarian priorities. During the meeting, the State Minister expressed appreciation for IOM’s longstanding partnership with Bangladesh in advancing safe, orderly, and regular migration, and supporting Bangladesh’s development and humanitarian priorities. Reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment as a GCM Champion Country, she expressed hope that the GCM NAP would provide a coordinated and action-oriented framework for translating the objectives of the Compact into effective national implementation.