The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladeshi community leaders in the UK yesterday urged the Caretaker Government to take effective steps immediately to ensure the proper use and investment of remittance sent home by expatriates working in Europe, Middle East and North American countries.

Putting some specific suggestions to the Government for consideration and implementation as early as possible, they regretted that the issue of appropriate and easy investment of the expatriates' money had remained neglected in Bangladesh, although the volume of remittance is more than three-time higher than that of foreign aid.

They said this, while exchanging views with journalists at a meet the press programme organised under the auspices of The Campus Magazine at its office at Mehrba Plaza in the capital.

Shamsul Alam Chowdhury, the founding General Secretary of Bangladesh Centre in the City of London, was the main speaker and British-Bangladeshi expatriates' leader in Birmingham city (UK) Nurul Alam the special speaker. Editor of Campus M Helal moderated the meet, while a number of senior journalists took part in the discussion.

According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) estimate the inward remittance flow in eight months (July 1 to March 31) this fiscal has already crossed US 5,224.50 million dollars, showing record growth. The total amount of remittance in the last financial year (2006-07) was US 5,980 million dollars, BB added.

"The government pays more attention to foreign aid despite huge remittance flow from the expatriates," Shamsul Alam said.

"The government should do more for expatriate at the airports," he said.

The speakers at the press conference also demanded to ensure voting right for the Bangladeshi worker abroad.

They also urged the government to provide plane tickets to workers for going to their work places abroad

"We will be able to encourage our businessmen to import more Bangladeshi goods if the government cooperates with us," they said.

They also demanded to reduce the fair of cargo freight charges to import Bangladeshi vegetables items.

Shamsul Alam said, "Government should give more attention to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare".

He said the our foreign currency flow would increase, if we are able to develop the skill of our workforce."

"There is a shortage of skilled manpower in the industrialised countries," he said.