Yunus said during the inauguration of the HSIA exhibition for them and gave a pep talk to officials in Baku

UNB, Dhaka

Tue Nov 12, 2024 00:00 Last updated: Tue Nov 12, 2024 03:35

Chief Advisor Prof. Muhammad Yunus yesterday inaugurated a dedicated lounge for migrant workers of the country at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to ensure that they receive honor and facilities as guests for their significant contribution to the progress of the country.

“Our migrant workers are nation builders. During the massive uprising in July-August, they played an important role. We will always be grateful to them,” Prof Yunus said.

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The “Probashi Lounge” is the first of its kind at the airport. “We believe this fair will make it easier for their (migrant workers) to travel,” Professor Yunus said.

Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the senior advisor’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

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Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the senior advisor’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

It will provide workers with a place to rest and subsidized food to refresh themselves.

The senior adviser said many more measures would hopefully be taken so that workers could think that they are at home and that everyone is taking care of them and serving them well.

He said the nation should give migrant workers the respect they deserve. “Bangladeshi migrants contribute to the progress of the country by sending remittances and they should be given due respect.”

Prof Yunus highlighted the need to relax government services for expatriates and said e-passports should now be issued to them.

Asif Nazrul, legal and social advisor to the expatriates, and senior officials of the International Organization for Migration were also present at the event.

Prof Nazrul paid tribute to the country’s migrant workers and millions of diaspora members who have made sacrifices time and again for their motherland.

Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the senior advisor’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

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Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the senior advisor’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali, acting head of the IOM mission in Bangladesh, said the UN agency sponsored the fair to help migrant workers.

“This is an initiative of the senior advisor. We are happy to support this initiative,” she said, adding that IOM is also sponsoring nearly 100 volunteers to help migrants at the airport.

LAST

Professor Yunus yesterday called on Bangladesh officials, NGO and civil society leaders to step up efforts to highlight the country’s climate crisis concerns at the COP29 summit from November 11-22.

Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the senior advisor’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

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Photo: Taken from the Facebook profile of the senior advisor’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

He made the appeal in Baku after arriving in the Azerbaijani capital to lead Bangladesh to the annual climate summit organized by the UN.

“Our main efforts will be to include our concerns and demands in the final declaration of COP29,” he told the Bangladeshi delegation during a coordination meeting at a Baku hotel.

Professor Yunus will join the main COP29 summit today and speak at at least three major events.

During the meeting, Environment Secretary Farhina Ahmed briefed the officials about Bangladesh’s position on some key issues of the conference.

She said Bangladesh had set up nine teams to negotiate on all major areas, including climate finance, losses and mitigation, and just transition and adaptation mechanisms at the summit.

At least 29 NGOs and civil society groups from Bangladesh are joining COP29, Farhina said.

She said that despite assurances from rich northern countries, Bangladesh has so far received $344 million in grants and $250 million in loans under climate finance.

The UN’s biggest climate conference, COP29, is seen as a “crucial opportunity” to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkey Amanul Haq, among others, was present at the airport to receive the senior advisor at 5:15 p.m. (local time).

Prof Yunus, who is leading a small delegation, will return home on November 14, a senior official in his office said.

World leaders and diplomats are joining the annual climate summit to discuss how to avoid growing threats from climate change in a place that was one of the birthplaces of the oil industry.