City Desk :
The National Expatriates’ Day will be observed in the country tomorrow for the first time at the initiative of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment with the theme “Probashir Kalyan, Morzada- Amader Ongikar, Smart Bangladesh Goray Tarao Soman Ongshidar”.
On the eve of the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday greeted the expatriate Bangladeshis and their family members living in different countries across the world, reports BSS.
In a message, the President said the country achieved the much-awaited independence under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangabandhu’s foresight as well as accurate and timely diplomatic action created opportunities for immigration and foreign employment for Bangladeshi citizens soon after the country’s independence.
“Diaspora is an integral part of Bangladesh,” he said, adding that Expatriate Bangladeshis have directly and indirectly helped in the Great War of Liberation.
Remittances sent by the expatriates and migrant workers have been instrumental in keeping Bangladesh’s foreign reserves strong and the wheels of the economy moving, the head of the state added.
He believed that the observance of National Expatriates’ Day will play a special role in ensuring the rights and welfare of expatriates, recognizing their contribution and motivating them to participate in the socio-economic development of the country.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said expatriate Bangladeshis played a unique role in the Great War of Liberation under the leadership of the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
After the Liberation War, the active cooperation and contribution of expatriates to gain international recognition of Bangladesh as an independent sovereign state, reconstruction of war-torn Bangladesh, strengthening foreign aid and diplomatic activities is undeniable, the premier added.
Currently, a large number of non-resident Bangladeshis and Bangladeshi workers are staying in more than 170 countries of the world under the labor migration, she said.
She said expatriate Bangladeshis have an important contribution to the socio- economic development of Bangladesh.
She recalled their contribution with sincere gratitude.
From 2009 to 2022, Bangladeshi diaspora sent an average of US$17.5 billion as remittances each year, she said, adding that in the financial year 2022-23, this amount was 21.61 billion US dollars.
Awami League government has made service delivery digital and easier besides providing incentives for sending remittances through legitimate channels, she said.
