On 27th January 2021, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) and Bangladesh Civil Society for Migrants (BCSM) organised a Dissemination Webinar of the e-Book “The Other Face of Globalisation COVID-19, International Labour Migrants and Left-behind Families in Bangladesh” intending to share the findings of BCSM-RMMRU publication with the senior government functionaries, policymakers, civil society stakeholders, and development partners. Dr C R Abrar, Executive Director, RMMRU, inaugurated and moderated where Dr Tasneem Siddiqui, Founding Chair, RMMRU, was the keynote speaker before the guests. Dr Tasneem Siddiqui said, “the book is to give the idea that what migrants are facing, what they have faced, and emergency.” She also added that we tried to identify here in this book, in the future what type of policies and support is required.
In this meeting, honourable guests were Mr Gerry Fox, Team Leader, PROKAS, Mr Ignacio Packer, Executive Director, ICVA, Former GFMD Civil Society Coordinator, Professor Dr Imtiaz Hussain, Head, Global Studies and Governance Programme, Mr Colin Rajah, Civil Society Action Committee Coordinator, ICMC. Mr Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, MP, Chair of Bangladesh Parliamentarians’ Caucus on Migration & Development, Government of Bangladesh was the Guest of Honour. Mr Md. Motahar Hossain, Additional Secretary, Research and Policy wing, MoEOWE present as the Special Guest and Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Former Advisor of Care Taker Government of Bangladesh, Chair, PPRC graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Mr Gerry Fox quoted, “the book contains really strong information along with research and is important to policymakers.” Mr Ignacio Packer, stated, “I found that the book addresses some of the challenges around global migration and the huge amount of challenges that both the states and the migrants themselves are constantly struggling with and how it has been exacerbated by the current pandemic.” Mr Colin Rajah said that ”I am incredibly impressed and inspired by the level of vibrancy in Bangladesh civil society particularly in relation to migration, we at the global level can learn so much from you in terms of approach and coordination.” Guest of Honour, Mr Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, MP, believes, “We need an entrepreneurial state role in skill development, in reshaping the skill in gathering the experience of the returning migrants for upcoming migrants and this way we really have to formulate a national integration policy, it is high time to make a shift from conceptualisation to actualisation.”
Special guest Mr Md. Motahar Hossain, Additional Secretary, stated, “I have gone through the book I must say I am impressed with the innovative approach that this book takes to provide an in-depth analysis of the concern that has been expressed globally by taking Bangladesh as a case study. I’m sure such an assessment will better the policy framing process for the betterment of the migration governance”.
The Chief Guest, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, said, “The E-book I would commend for being an example of real-time knowledge, policy-relevant knowledge to affect real-time policymaking.” According to Mr Rahman said, the issue here is real-time evidence to influence real-time policymaking and that demands a different type of orientation. In his concluding remarks Mr Syed Saiful Haque, Co-chair BCSM believes the “BCSM and RMMRU are showing others in local, regional, and also international level, that how Bangladesh civil society can make work together, particularly in the field of advocacy”.