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Last modified on Tuesday, 27 July 2021 10:31

Standard Chartered, BRAC to develop returnee migrant workers into entrepreneurs Featured

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Standard Chartered, BRAC to develop returnee migrant workers into entrepreneurs

File photo shows migrant workers at the Dhaka airport Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune/

Standard Chartered Bangladesh and BRAC have announced the launch of a Covid-19 response initiative that will work with returnee migrant workers to ensure economic self-reliance through skills and entrepreneurship development.

The Standard Chartered Foundation is financing the two-year project titled “Covid-19 recovery: Entrepreneurship Training and Gainful Employment for Returnee Migrants Affected by Covid-19 in Bangladesh,” reads a press release.

According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, more than 400,000 migrants returned to their home country within a year due to the ongoing pandemic.

Recent BRAC survey findings suggest that half of the returnee migrants could not find gainful employment upon their return.

Under this project, the returnee migrants affected by Covid-19 will be supported with emergency arrival assistance, counselling, and entrepreneurship training followed by in-kind financial assistance as business award money to start their new business, which will support their sustainable economic reintegration.

The project will also link beneficiaries with microfinance institutes to facilitate access to finance and provide emergency and psycho-social support.

The project will identify and trace beneficiaries through several sources, including the airport, community members, hotline and other referrals. Three Reintegration Support Centres will be established under the project.

Preference will be given to more vulnerable demographics, particularly women and youths aged between 18 and 35 years.

Beneficiaries will be identified from three districts — Dhaka, Chattogram and Cumilla.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said the return of migrant workers could be seen as a challenge for our economy, but it is also an opportunity.

“Through harnessing the skills and knowledge, they have gained throughout their overseas careers and channelling it towards entrepreneurship and gainful employment opportunities, our remittance earners will not only ensure their own economic self-reliance but also create more opportunities for the broader community, multiplying the recovery momentum at the root-levels,” he added.

He also said Standard Chartered is delighted to work with BRAC on this initiative, adopting the reintegration model implemented by the NGO since 2006, which has already helped 3.5 million people across 64 districts of Bangladesh.

Asif Saleh, executive director of BRAC, said that for systematic changes, a meaningful partnership is required for the welfare of migrant workers in Bangladesh.

Covid-19 left many migrants jobless with new learning where for all actors, government and non-government need to work together to support returnee migrants for their economic and social reintegration back into our society, he added.

“We have to do more work with fewer resources — there comes partnership. The main focus is to support returnee migrant workers with entrepreneurship skills development and other support services for small-scale businesses that will change and improve the local economy," Saleh further said.

See also: Financialexpress.com.bdFinancial ExpressIttefaqSamakalBusiness StandardDaily ObserverDaily SunNew NationBonik BartaBhorer KagojSangbadBangladesh , PostManob KanthaAmader OrthoneetiShomoyer AloProtidiner SangbadNews TimeSamakal.comBdnews24.comIttefaq.com.bdObserverbd.comDaily-sun.comThenewnation.comBonikbarta.netInqilab.comBhorerkagoj.netSunbd24.comThesangbad.netThesangbad.netBangladeshpost.netTbsnews.netNewspapers71.comLastnewsbd.comProtidinersangbad.comBvnews24.comBusinessinsiderbd.com

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