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The government has increased the welfare fee payable by Bangladeshi workers travelling abroad for employment, raising the charge for obtaining an emigration clearance from Tk3,500 to Tk5,500.
The new fee will take effect from October 1, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on Sunday.
The ministry said the fee was revised to Tk5,500 to reflect the growing scope and volume of services for migrant workers, ensure their protection and overall welfare, and adjust the charge to the market value of the US dollar.
Shariful Islam, deputy director of the Probashi Kallyan Desk at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport operated by the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, confirmed that the new fee would come into effect on October 1.
The government fixed the welfare fee for overseas-bound workers at Tk3,500 in 2015.
In addition to the welfare fee, applicants have to pay Tk1,000 as an insurance fee. The Tk500 charge once collected for the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) smart card is no longer applicable, as the card is now issued free of charge.
Registered migrant workers and their families receive a range of government services and benefits under the welfare and social protection programmes funded through the fee.
If a worker dies abroad, for example, the family receives a Tk35,000 cheque towards burial and transportation expenses after the body arrives at Dhaka, Chattogram or Sylhet international airport and the necessary documents are verified.
The family of a deceased migrant worker also receives a one-time financial grant of Tk3 lakh.
Other services include medical assistance for sick migrant workers, educational stipends for their children, and registration and overall monitoring of migrant workers through the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board’s database.