The workshop was supported by Switzerland and the Government of Canada (GAC), long-standing development partners of the ILO in labour migration and skills development for young men and women, including underprivileged and vulnerable groups.
The primary goal of the workshop was to engage the private sector in Chattogram on the effective economic reintegration of return migrant workers. The event highlighted the challenges, opportunities, and future steps to establish a sustainable reintegration system involving the private sector.
The workshop saw participation from dignitaries including representatives from the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries, workers’ organizations, business associations, civil society organizations such as BRAC, Chittagong Welfare Center of the WEWB, BKTTC Chattogram, Women TTC Chattogram under the MoEWOE, training providers, and leading private sector employers.
Mr Fazlur Rahman, Deputy Secretary of the MoEWOE, emphasized the government’s efforts towards sustainable reintegration, mentioning ongoing projects like the World Bank-funded RAISE project, which operates at the grassroots level through 30 Welfare Centres, and the ILO-implemented, SDC-funded reintegration project that focuses on policy development, system introduction, and capacity building for effective reintegration services.
Mr Mahfuzul Hoque Shah, Director of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industries, highlighted the importance of grassroots-level approaches and media involvement to ensure that return migrant workers are aware of available services. He also suggested extending these initiatives to sub-district levels in the region.
Ms Abida Mostafa, President in Charge of the Chattogram Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries, emphasized the contributions of women both at home and abroad and assured support for reintegrating women return migrant workers.
Mr A.M. Nazimuddin, a representative from the NCCWE, noted the significant economic contributions of migrant workers and expressed the NCCWE’s eagerness to collaborate with the ILO on reintegration efforts, highlighting the need for capacity building in this area.
Mr Asif Ayub, Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, stated that return migrant workers are more inclined towards enterprise development than wage employment. He mentioned BEF’s plans to establish a unit in the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce dedicated to this issue and facilitate private sector involvement in connecting return migrant workers with employment opportunities.
Mr Nazeem Sattar, General Manager of SME Foundation, discussed the foundation’s work with the ILO on entrepreneurship development and its commitment to developing tailored schemes for return migrant workers.
Representatives from BRAC, the Welfare Centres of the WEWB, and BKTTC under BMET presented their activities and shared their experiences on reintegration services, enriching the understanding of available services and the challenges faced in integrating return migrant workers.
The ILO also introduced the concept of regional Employment Support Services (ESS), aimed at providing skilled job seekers and companies access to reliable information on job vacancies and the skilled labour force, establishing a secure platform to link companies and job seekers.
The workshop concluded with a decision to form a coordination committee for return women migrant workers under the leadership of the Chattogram Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries, including relevant government agencies, CSOs, and NGOs with ILO’s technical support. Additionally, the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industries will explore establishing a designated unit for integrating return migrant workers, and the ILO will seek partnerships with specific employers in the Chattogram district for job placement opportunities for return migrant workers.
