Staff Reporter :
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Migration Agency helped the Cox’s Bazar district administration and Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) to organise multiple events to mark the International Migrants Day (IMD) with the motto ‘We Together’.
The various government agencies and representatives from development partner organisations came together to observe the Day on Wednesday. The international theme for IMD this year is ‘social cohesion’ and the national theme in Bangladesh is ‘skills’. The UN General Assembly chose December 18 as IMD on December 4, 2000.
Cox’s Bazar is currently hosting more than 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas. More than 840,000 of them arrived since 2017.
The day’s programme started with a grand rally. Later, a seminar held at the DC office saw speakers highlight the needs of Bangladeshi migrants and the importance of remittances in economic development.
Cox’s Bazar’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Mohammad Ashraful Afsar noted that some 11.7 million Bangladeshis are currently living abroad, often having migrated through unsafe, irregular channels.
This year alone, 614,000 people went abroad. “We should put an eye on migration benefits and inspire individuals to use it within the proper legal channels,” he said.
IOM Bangladesh Deputy Chief of Mission Manuel Pereira said their intention is to foster recognition that migration is a benefit that works for all. “Today we celebrate the positive aspects of migration,” Pereira said.
IOM also organised 18 film screenings as part of the Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) along with a photo-exhibition and a three-day art workshop. A football match for social cohesion was also arranged in Teknaf with the participation of the local and Rohingya communities.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Migration Agency helped the Cox’s Bazar district administration and Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) to organise multiple events to mark the International Migrants Day (IMD) with the motto ‘We Together’.
The various government agencies and representatives from development partner organisations came together to observe the Day on Wednesday. The international theme for IMD this year is ‘social cohesion’ and the national theme in Bangladesh is ‘skills’. The UN General Assembly chose December 18 as IMD on December 4, 2000.
Cox’s Bazar is currently hosting more than 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas. More than 840,000 of them arrived since 2017.
The day’s programme started with a grand rally. Later, a seminar held at the DC office saw speakers highlight the needs of Bangladeshi migrants and the importance of remittances in economic development.
Cox’s Bazar’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Mohammad Ashraful Afsar noted that some 11.7 million Bangladeshis are currently living abroad, often having migrated through unsafe, irregular channels.
This year alone, 614,000 people went abroad. “We should put an eye on migration benefits and inspire individuals to use it within the proper legal channels,” he said.
IOM Bangladesh Deputy Chief of Mission Manuel Pereira said their intention is to foster recognition that migration is a benefit that works for all. “Today we celebrate the positive aspects of migration,” Pereira said.
IOM also organised 18 film screenings as part of the Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) along with a photo-exhibition and a three-day art workshop. A football match for social cohesion was also arranged in Teknaf with the participation of the local and Rohingya communities.
