Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, has called for stronger and more coordinated global cooperation in migration governance, emphasizing the urgent need to protect migrant workers’ rights, improve accurate migration data systems, and combat discrimination and misinformation.
Speaking on May 6 at the Multi-Stakeholder Round Table-4 of the International Migration Review Forum held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, Chowdhury said migrant workers should not be viewed merely as labor resources, but as human beings with rights and dignity.
The minister stressed the importance of collecting accurate, evidence-based, and comparable migration data, strengthening national statistical systems, improving inter-agency coordination, and safeguarding privacy and human rights. He also highlighted the need to ensure timely and reliable information throughout every stage of migration through multi-service centers, digital platforms, and community-based initiatives.
Referring to the heightened risks faced by domestic workers and workers in agriculture and the informal sector, Chowdhury called for a rights-based approach to prevent exploitation and unsafe working conditions.
He also emphasized the importance of accountability, digital literacy, and inclusive public dialogue to counter xenophobia and misinformation-driven anti-immigration narratives.
Calling for stronger bilateral and global partnerships, the minister said that a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach is essential to ensuring dignity, protection, and shared prosperity in migration management.
