Policy Influences

RMMRU organized a conference that involved academics, banks, financial institution, concerned ministry officials, journalists, rights and development activists and members of national and international organizations on September 9, 2012. The conference recognized the positive role of remittances on national Bangladeshi economy and the potential of mandatory bank accounts for migrant workers. 

Chief Guest of the conference, Honorable Secretary of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry Dr. Zafar Ahmed Khan, highlights that mandatory bank account will help tremendously to collect remittance through formal channel and agrees to implement this within government. Ms. Shamsun Nahar, Director General, BMET confirms BMET accordance with ensuring mandatory bank accounts for departing migrants undergoing final clearance from BMET.

RMMRU launched a policy campaign on this from June 2009. It organized several meetings with high Bangladesh Bank officials and public and private bank top policy makers. After the policy dialogue held on October 23, 2010 the Governor of Bangladesh Bank officially announced that the bank will take necessary steps to withdraw the clause. 

On December 13, 2010, the Bangladesh Bank issued a circular to all public and private banks and remittance houses to withdraw exclusivity clause from their current arrangements of money transfer and banned the implementation of similar clauses in any future arrangements.

RMMRU prepared a document entitled ‘Targeting Good Governance: Incorporation of Migration in the 6^th Five-Year Plan’. It was presented in a dialogue held on June 2, 2010. The policy document and dialogue facilitated interaction with and collaboration with the Finance Ministry and Planning Commission of the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

An official DO of the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry issued a statement about why migration should be incorporated in different sections of the 6^th 5-year plan. Migration was considered and incorporated into the 6^th 5-year plan. 

RMMRU collected segregated data of the returnees to identify their socio-economic situation, skill and experience. With instructions from RMMRU, MRPCs collected information through rapid primary level survey in project areas. RMMRU organized a dialogue emphasizing rehabilitation issues of the returnees and shared field findings with the participants of the workshop. Representatives from World Bank, BGMEA, BAIRA, BD Jobs, banks, and donor communities attended the programme. 

Representatives from banks, international and national organizations, government and community level committees promised to work in collaboration for the rehabilitation of returnee Bangladeshi migrant workers from Libya. RMMRU published an article "Emergency Return of Bangladeshi Migrants from Libya" in conjunction with the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies. 

Since 1997, RMMRU campaigned nationally and internationally for the 1990 UN Convention, through several policy dialogues, workshops, seminars with government and civil society organizations. 

In 2010, RMMRU brought Mr. Abdelhamid El Jamri, Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families to Bangladesh. A bilateral meeting with the Law Minister of Bangladesh, Secretary of Expatriates’ Welfare, DG of BMET, Foreign Secretary, etc. witnessed the ratification of the 1990 UN Convention without reservation. 

RMMRU prepared a report on policy reforms with suggestions for institutional and regulatory reforms for remittance management, followed by a participatory dialogue session during the remittance festival put together by RMMRU. 

RMMRU submitted the findings report to the Governor of Bangladesh Bank with suggestions on how to establish good governance in remittance management.