Role of Labour Governance in Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers: Bangladesh Perspective

Abstract

Governance of foreign migration of our labour force has become a critical imperative due to the size and growth of this sector, as well as the value of remittances and its contribution to our GDP. Good policies and institutional frameworks are not synonymous with good governance. Neither mere predictability of mechanisms for formulating policies and procedures are not sufficient to produce good governance. While it is essential that appropriate policies and procedures be formulated, it also requires that the government has the political will to implement the policies it adopts. It must also demonstrate that it can deliver what is promised and expected from its institutions. This article begins with an examination of recent trends in Bangladeshi workers migration. It then analyzes the migration cycle and the challenges faced by migrants from the departure phase to reintegration. The manifold and complex gendered effects of migration are discussed on the basis of the secondary data generated from various reports of government and non-government organizations and of various publications of home and abroad. The final section provides some recommendations for public policy of migration.