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Planning Minister Muhammad Abdul Mannan has underscored the need for strengthening the role of Bangladesh embassies abroad to ensure providing necessary supports to the migrant workers in international labour markets.
"Officers specialised in handling the migrant workers should be employed in the embassies in the regions like Middle East and Malaysia," he said on Saturday.
The minister was speaking as chief guest of a mock parliamentary debate session on the role of overseas employment for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Debate for Democracy (DfD), a nonprofit organisation, arranged the programme at a shooting floor of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in the city.
The DfD Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron also spoke on the occasion.
Mr. Mannan informed the event that he earlier raised the issue in the parliament and proposed to keep the embassies operational for 24/7 at the sensitive labor markets.
"The foreign offices should become the centre of export-oriented businesses and international overseas job markets for Bangladeshis," he added.
He said the government is now paying more attention to strengthen skills development programmes to help the migrant workers earn higher wages.
Underscoring the need for technical skills for professionals both at home and abroad, the minister said the government has also a plan to establish science and technology universities at the districts presently having no such institution.
He also called upon the youths to give their opinion through raising questions about the government's development plans with constructive criticism.
In his speech, Mr Hasan Ahmed said the migrants send a large amount of foreign currencies to Bangladesh without big investment like other sectors, including apparel, leather and pharmaceuticals.
"The migrant workers send US$ 13-14 billion every year, which is over 7.0 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," he said.
He also underscored the need for more regulatory control over the migration process for making it safe through enhanced immigration diplomacy.
The debating team of Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) defeated its counterpart from Eastern University.