Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Bangladesh has received remittance of over $7 billion from expatriate citizens in the last three months, official data showed.
"Bangladeshi expatriates sent $7.02 billion remittance to the country in the last three months," said a progress report on the works of different ministries and divisions.
The Chief Adviser's Press Wing shared the document on the occasion of the three months of the interim government led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
During the last three months, a total of 2,22,821 Bangladeshi workers went abroad. Of them, 4,426 workers went to different countries under Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited.
Highlighting the activities of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the report said the interim government provided financial support of about Tk34 crore to the families of migrant workers who died abroad. Each family received Tk3 lakh.
Tk1.88 crore was distributed among injured and ill workers, as financial assistance, for their treatment. A total of Tk4.32 crore was given to the families of the migrant workers, who died abroad, to bear expenditures in carrying their bodies and conducting funerals, the report said.
In the last three months, Tk12.39 crore of insurance was distributed among the families of the workers who died abroad, while nearly Tk1.97 crore was given to the meritorious children of migrant workers as educational assistance.
A total of Tk216.33 crore was disbursed among 9,989 migrant workers as housing loan from Probashi Kallyan Bank. From rehabilitation loan sector, Tk22.89 crore credits were disbursed among 811 expatriate workers during the period, the official data showed.
The authorities concerned have taken an initiative to introduce a digital platform to coordinate the works related to overseas employment, while a Probashi Support Centre was launched to receive and settle the allegations of migrant workers and provide support for them.
On 5 October, the Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB) signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with Malaysian Social Security Organization (PERKESO) so that Bangladeshi migrant works can get different benefits in Malaysia through PERKESO, according to the report.
