In cooperation with the Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC, Copenhagen Consensus Center organized roundtable discussions with an aim to figure out smarter solutions to the most problematic issues facing Bangladesh.

1. Migration
Research Ideas
Dhaka
May 27, 2015

2. Bangladesh Priorities
WORKING WITH 30-50 economists including Nobel Laureates, 100+
sector experts engaging major development organizations, NGOs,
government, businesses, youths, rural and urban Bangladeshis to
identify, analyze and prioritize interventions that will deliver greater
benefit per taka spent, helping move Bangladesh towards Vision 2021
and a more prosperous long term future.

3. In cooperation with the Research
and Evaluation Division of BRAC,
Copenhagen Consensus Center
organized roundtable discussions
with an aim to figure out smarter
solutions to the most problematic
issues facing Bangladesh.
These roundtables are
one of several sources
for research ideas.
Sourcing ideas and solutions
Smarter solutions for Bangladesh
Complete set of papers
on 30-50 solutions
PRIORITIZATION
Government NGOs
Academia Pvt sector
Think tanks
Development
organizations
Eminent Panel
Assessment
Government and
donor seminars
Rural polls
Newspaper polls
among readers
Youth forums
across the country
Private sector
meetings
Social, economic and
environmental benefit-cost
research by top Bangladeshi,
and international economists
Extensive peer review by sector
experts and academics
100+ ideas on
policies & investments
20162015 Continuous
engagement with
the public via
electronic, print
and social media
Working with
civil society,
government and
sector experts
Widely
advocating
results of
prioritization
exercises
OUTREACH

4. Research Ideas

5. Migration;
(1 of 8)
• Arrange free of cost pre-departure training programs
on skills and language.
• Improve standard of government training centers in
terms of both facilities and training module.
• Nationwide awareness for safe migration and informed
decision-making by migrant workers.
• Build capacity to establish ethical recruitment practices
by recruitment agencies.
• Regulate recruitment agencies for promoting safe
migration.
• Create a multi‐stakeholder platform for a holistic
migration management system.

6. Migration;
(2 of 8)
• Improve multi-modal transport for more rural-urban
migration opportunities.
• Encourage relocation of urban jobs to secondary cities.
• Establishment of 22 District Employment and
Manpower Offices (DEMO).
• Creation of a ‘catering institute’ for market oriented
skill training.
• Standardization of training courses consistent with
international needs.
• Certification of migrants’ skills through the National
Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework
(NTVQF).

7. Migration;
(3 of 8)
• Improve qualification of training staff for professional
migration opportunities.
• Consider women as a special group in case of river
erosion or such disaster induced migration.
• Facilitate migration of workers from lagging districts to
more prosperous regions.
• Supporting policies to offer real positive interest rates
to remittance savers.
• Prioritize internal migration opportunities for coastal,
environmental refugees.
• Analyze impact of female migration on their children’s
educational outcomes.

8. Migration;
(4 of 8)
• Establish a skills matching mechanism for professional
migration opportunities.
• Maintain a database of returnee migrant workers to
create jobs honing on their newly acquired skills.
• Diversification of destination to non-GCC countries.
• Implementation of migration policies and laws with
adequate budgetary support.
• More G2G migration platforms for safe migration.
• Leverage Bangladesh’s political clout in international
relations for reducing migration costs.
• Ensure a minimum level of female employees in
recruiting agencies.

9. Migration;
(5 of 8)
• Incentives for recruitment agencies to participate in
ILO/IOM/etc. sponsored events.
• Reducing medical test fees for migrant workers.
• G2G MoUs should be publicly accessible.
• Make use of the 1.4 million workers database.
• Quarterly publication of blacklisted recruitment
agencies.
• Establish a star-rating system to highlight best
performing recruitment agencies.
• Use Union Digital Centers (UDCs) for online registration
of migrant workers.

10. Migration;
(6 of 8)
• Mobile based notification to shortlisted candidates.
• Multimedia contents and mobile apps for raising
awareness of migrant workers.
• Establish an e-Learning platform for recruitment
agencies, training facilities and prospective temporary
migrant workers.
• Strengthen labor wings of Bangladeshi missions abroad.
• Establishment of a call center at the Wage Earners
Board for redressing grievances.
• Verification of visa and passports at the UDCs.
• More migration programs to be aired by media for
increasing awareness.

11. Migration;
(7 of 8)
• Register middleman of recruitment agencies.
• Immigration process to be dealt by GAMCA, a GCC
approved medical association.
• Carry out medical tests for any host country through
GAMCA.
• Offer area based training programs by considering
outflow of migrant workers.
• Design and organize a 21 days training program for
overseas domestic workers.
• Share contract papers with temporary migrant workers
at least 7 days before their departure.
• Support ILO’s work in establishing a code of conduct for
recruitment agencies.

12. Migration;
(8 of 8)
• Sustain remittance inflow for financing increased
consumption and services.
• More mobile payment platforms for remittance
disbursements.
• Strengthen Probashi Kallyan Bank (PBK) as the
‘migrant’s bank’ - provide financial support to workers
at the pre-migration stage and also for returnee
workers.
• Set up a Temporary Migrants Mutual Fund (TMMF) for
channeling remittances into productive sectors.
• Encourage - via cash grants - seasonal regional to
urban migration during monga.

13. Full List of Attendees and
Interviewees
Sabina Saeed, UN Women, Program Associate.
Modasser Hossain, DAM, Program Manager.
Ahdur Raquib, SHISUK, Program Officer.
Sabiha Laizu Nishi, SHISUK, Program Coordinator.
Farhad AL Karim, BRAC Migration, Field Coordinator.
Pulak Ranjan Dhor, BCWWF, CS.
Hassan Imam, BRAC, Program Head.
Syed Mahbub Elahi, OKKAF, Chairman.
Sadia Karim, BRAC, Program focal & field Coordinator.
MD Tazul Islam, BMET, Director (EM).
Karol Larpinsici, World Bank, OPS Analyst.
Max Pottler, IOM, Project Officer.
Md. Abir Hasan, World Bank, Research Analyst.
Mahbuba Haque, INAFI, Associate Director.
Ranjit Ch.Das, BASTOB, Head of Program.
Sohela Jasmeen, S.F.M.M.T.T.C, Senior Instructor.
Suparna Roy, Coordinator, Access to Information (a2i).