Expatriates ministry neglect

Among other problems mentioned in the report, as many as 18 of 47 posts in the ministry remain vacant, the office space allocated to the ministry is inadequate for even this number of employees, even the secretary of the ministry has no fax connection or ISD facility, and there are no resources to keep in regular communication with the labour wings of Bangladeshi missions overseas.

Given the number of Bangladeshi citizens working abroad and the effect that their foreign exchange remittances have on our national economy, it makes a great deal of sense that the government would create a ministry to ensure their welfare.

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Bangladeshis in foreign countries are no less deserving of government assistance than those of us within the country. Indeed, in light of the fact that Bangladeshi expatriates are a principal source of foreign exchange earnings for the country, there is even greater reason for the government to take steps to address their concerns.

For the government to sit idly by for two years and allow the ministry to languish due to insufficient human resources and funding is poor public policy. Even basic coordination and oversight could significantly benefit expatriates and produce tangible economic benefits to the country as a whole.

The government must move swiftly to provide the ministry with the funds and the human resources it needs to operate effectively. A good first step would be to immediately fill the vacancies in the ministry so that it is fully staffed and to allocate the funds necessary to address the shortfalls mentioned in the report.

The underlying problem is that the government simply hasn't made the ministry a high priority, and this is what must change if the ministry is to operate effectively. After two years of neglect, such a focus is already long overdue.