About Us

The Rise of Bangladesh Migrant Foundation (BMF)

Migration is now a rights to the people who migrate to other countries for a better life and livelihood. But some horrible reports about the harassment of migrants has arrested the attention of everyone. In this paper a case about the oppression with Bangladeshi migrant has been narrated. I am a foreign returned migrant worker who was trafficked. I have been working to restore migrant’s rights. All of you certainly have known that the year of 2007 was a mournful period in the history of migration of Bangladesh. Some so called recruiting agencies trafficked 80 Bangladeshi migrant workers in the name of sending them to foreign countries. I am one of those ill fated men and since then working to restore migrant’s rights. Being a migrant worker I faced a fatal disaster in my life. I wish nobody faces such hazard in his/her life. I want to continue my expedition till the last second of my life so that the migrant brothers and sisters can enjoy their rights. To ensure their rights I want to work as a co-fighter along with them. I also want to take my activities ahead and desire to play an active role in strengthening the program. So I need help and support from all of you.

I wanted to uphold the success. So we raised fund which was 43,100 taka from the donation of 80 oppressed migrants. We formed an organization naming IMA Research Foundation which was constituted according to the society act 1860. The aim of the foundation was to work for ensuring migrant’s rights and their welfare. With the support of migrant brothers I became the chairman of IMA Research Foundation. After establishing the foundation we kept regular communication with Mr. Harun-or- Rashid, the program officer of Tanaganita organization in Malaysia. He would sometimes send us donation when we had needed it. Our work was being highlighted in Bangladeshi Media. Some evil people could not endure it. So they started conspiracy against us. Bangladesh Foreign welfare and foreign employment ministry conducted an investigation into our activities and they certified that we were not destroying migrant’s rights rather working hard for migrant’s rights. But conspiracy did not stop here. Mr. Harun came to Bangladesh. He visited the IMA Research Foundation with Mr. Liton, a officer of Ain O Shalish Kendra. He made a huge change in the constitution of the foundation. He wanted to form a new executive body. So he told us to resign our posts. And Mr. Harun wanted to be the chairman of the foundation. But no one of 80 migrants accepted this. We all protested it.  On the other hand Mr. Harun was rigid at his will. So on 20^th June 2009 we all resigned our posts and leave the organization. Our toiling days started once again. Likely the Bangladesh Migrant Development Forum helped us in getting the research fellowship of Action Aid Bangladesh. We got the opportunity of working for the arbitration of exploited migrants. After completing the fellowship program of Action Aid Bangladesh I started working in the program of Action for Combating Trafficking –in- Persons (ACT) under WINROCK INTERNATIONAL. My position was Peer Outreach. Now we are working to establish Bangladesh Migrant Foundation (BMF).     

Short Profile of BMF