BMF has started its various programs and Activities related to labor trafficking and Migrants Rights with the assistances from various partner Organizations, Donor Agencies, Migrants Activists, Researchers, Social Workers, Journalists and Repatriate Migrants. Detail of which has been described in the contents.
Community Awareness Program (CAP):
Since its establishment in 2010, BMF working for developing community, public and social awareness on safe labor migration, Combating labor trafficking, Protecting human rights and such communal issues. BMF aware the community through various publications, newspaper articles, leaflets, posters, media advocacy, networking, Processions, Rallies, Human Chain formation, Public Gathering etc. Beside these BMF also arranged and participated in several press conferences at national and local level where different government officials, policy makers were present. BMF Community Awareness Program unit always working for establishing the rights of Migrants through organizing different innovative awareness program.
Survivors Support Program (SSP):
Bangladesh Migrants Foundation (BMF) working for ensuring safe labor migration, combating labor trafficking and protecting Human Rights. Being a labor trafficked victim, the chairman of BMF Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy knows the problems of the survivors of labor trafficking and always support them. Thus the Survivor Support Program of BMF had launched since its inception in 2010. BMF runs a Shelter Home (Safe Home) with its own fund accommodating more than 20 survivors at a time with fooding, sleeping, Psycho-social Counseling, Legal and Social Reintegration support.
Case Management:
BMF, with the experience of its’ Founder & Chairman Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy dealt about 1,176 cases of arbitration at BMET and return more than 6 crore and 70 lac taka (USD 9, 85,000) to the repatriate migrants (Survivors) during the period 2007-2011. Thus BMF has great experience on dealing the arbitration cases at BMET and maintain a data base under the close supervision and monitoring of Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy.
CASE Management Data Base:
Please click here for download the BMF CASE Management Data Base (2011)
(MS Excel Sheet in PDF Mode will separately submit)
Shelter Support:
BMF has a great network with more than 3,500 of Migrant workers covering 53 Districts of the country. It is now dealing the pending Arbitration cases at BMET for the survivors in number of 300. As most of the Survivors live outside of Dhaka and for attending at the Arbitration, they require a Shelter Support, where they can stay and communicate with government for returning their money from Recruiting Agent. In this connection, BMF has assisted those survivors to take shelter support at the BMF office premises at Mohammedpur. Though there are many problems in associated with the quality accommodations, fooding facilities, BMF carried this duty with its own fund and the support from different patrons and successful Migrants. BMF has the capacity to support at least 20 Survivors at a time. It is now trying to improve the Quality of Service in near future.
Psycho-social Counseling:
Most of the Returnee Migrants Suffered from various Psycho-social Pressure as they had lost properties and money for going abroad and return with bare hand. At that time they requires Psychological and Social Counseling; where the BMF has great expertise to motivate the Survivor to return to normal life and be patience for establish their rights. Every Shelter Supporter gets that opportunity to participate in present of Various Social Activists, Journalists, Lawyers and Migrants.
Social Re-integration:
BMF has another supportive program name Social Re-integration through which the repatriate Migrants (Survivors) will capable to return to normal social and economical life. It is a Linkage Program of BMF where the survivors receive various training for developing their skills including different trade training, life skills training, agricultural training, Economic Management Training etc. BMF also support the survivors financially for creating their own business opportunity and become solvent economically through its Economic Development Program.
Legal Support Program:
Most of the Returnee Migrants (Survivor of Labor Trafficking) do not know the process for returning their money from the Agency in the presence of BMET authority. BMF has been working with this issue since its establishment for Arbitration (A legal process for claiming the money from the Agency with the Assistances of BMET authority and Bangladesh Government) for the survivors or labor trafficked victim. At present BMF now dealing more than 300 pending Arbitration cases at BMET. BMF will soon digitalize the Process of Arbitration for case filing and dealing within this year. Beside the Arbitration Cases, BMF also assist the survivors legally if there raise any problems, any chance of violation of human rights with its’ experienced lawyers.
For dealing these types of cases BMF forms a BMF Lawyers Pool with experienced lawyers who works as volunteer basis.
BMF Lawyers Pool:
Advocate Giti Bhadra:
Ms. Giti Bhadra has achieved her L.L.B. degree in 2006 and since than practicing the profession as lawyer to support the survivors of labor trafficking and to establish the rights of Migrants. She possesses four (4) years of experience to work with labor migration issues. She is expert in conducting research works, Base Line surveys, Report Writing and Presentation.
She has been worked with various Organizations like: Department of Youth Development-GoB as Trainer Life Skill, SHISUK (Shikkha, Shastho Unnayan Kendra) as Trainer Advocacy and Life Skill, Winrock International (ACT Program) as Legal Adviser and BMF as Consultant (Legal Support).
Ms. Gita Bhadra, with other two founder members of MSR-Home has established Migrants Survey and Research Home (MSR-Home).
Advocate Sheikh Suva Polash:
Coming soon……………………
Advocacy & Media Campaign:
Advocacy at National Level: BMF always deviate to establish the rights of Migrants; may be at community level or at National Level. The awareness program of BMF is now running its program at community level; root level and national level and campaigning for ensuring safe labor migration with various advocacy and media coverage like: Human Chain, Rally, Press Conference, Discussion Session, Training and Workshop through its partners and networking.
Advocacy at International Level: BMF has a Campaign Program for covering advocacy and media at International level to create network and aware people about human trafficking. It is doing its advocacy and Media Campaign activities through its international partners and networks.
Research, Documentation & Publication:
BMF has carried several Research related to Labor Migration issues, Remittance Inflow, The Condition of Survivors with the assistances of Different National-International Agencies (Action Aid Bangladesh), University Students, Research Institutes and others. The BMF has an Individual Publication and Documentation Wing, which has been published many articles, Brochures, Leaflets, Position Papers, Collect different Articles, Books, Journals, Reports, Newspapers related to Migration and Human Trafficking. The Newsletter Monthly Published by BMF News is `OVIBASIR KOTHAMALA’ has created a huge reader within the society.
Research:
Migrants Survey and Research Home (MSR-Home) is the Research and Consultancy Service providing wing of Bangladesh Migrants Foundation (BMF), operating its activities informally since 2007 and have been established formally on 1st December 2010 by the founder Chairman of BMF Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy in close assistance from other two founder members Ms. Gita Bhadra Giti and Mr. Aminul Hoque Tushar.
BMF was established by its key migrant activist Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy, who is also a survivor of Labor trafficking and works for development of labor migration and ensure the safe migration. The BMF envisions the secure and safe labor migration where the rights of migrants will be protected and its slogan “We the Migrants desire to live with dignity”.
For the development of present situation of labor migration and combating the illegal labor migration, BMF has done several activities not only at the field but also with conducting several study, surveys and research since its inception. As the founder Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy and other two founder members Ms. Gita Bhadra Giti and Mr. Aminul Hoque Tushar has individually involved in some research works previously for the development of labor migration and Human Trafficking; they think together to establish a research and consultancy wing of Bangladesh Migrants Foundation to strengthen the activities of BMF itself as well as to support the illegal labor trafficking survivors through advocacy at national-international level to establish their rights constitutionally. From that the emerges of Migrants Survey and Research Home (MSR-Home) became successful.
Major Activities Coverage:
Labor Migration and Labor Rights: Bangladesh is one of the major labor exporters to the middle-east and other countries of Europe and Asia. Lots of remittance is earned by the migrants’ labor and which are contributing nearly 10% of the total GDP of Bangladesh. But unfortunately, this sector is ignored by the government and the steps to develop the labor migration become rare. Thus the Labor migrants Rights are always violated and which creates a scope of MSR-Home to work.
Human Trafficking and illegal Labor Migration: At present the illegal migration or labor trafficking become one of the threat for labor export market which are happening due to ignorance of the government, lack of proper Education and Knowledge, unawareness and unwillingness. Becoming the survivors of illegal labor trafficking, the people are losing their homes, money, and social status and increase the poverty within the society. The impact of the labor trafficking also decreases the moral and social values, livelihood status, and so on. The victim or survivors suffers a lot within his/her family, society, or country. For combating the illegal labor trafficking MSR-Home always conducting studies and surveys and present the results to the government for take necessary actions.
Gender Development and Human Rights Protection: Since its establishment MSR-Home in association with Bangladesh Migrants Foundation (BMF) works for the development of Women migrants for supporting them with shelter support, legal support, BMET Arbitration for compensation and others. The BMF experienced that returnee women migrants suffers a lot after their repatriation in family, community and society; which creates another scope for MSR-Home to study the scenario and find out the ways to reintegrate them.
Climate Change and Environmental Refugee: The Global Climate Change effects Bangladesh as it is one threaten country of Climate change. Thus the frequent appearance of river erosion, storm surge, cyclone, floods causes humans to migrate and become Environment refugee. This is another sector where BMF works and MSR-Home supports BMF with carrying different studies and research
Livelihood Development: BMF always works to develop the livelihood pattern not only of the migrants and their family but also for all the community hardcore poor people who are mostly sufferer of human trafficking. BMF works to encourage these people to involve in various Income Generating Activities (IGA), Educate them on various issues like: Safe Dirking Water Supply, Good practices for proper Sanitationð & Hygiene, Child and Maternity care and so on which are correlated with maintaining standard livelihood. This activity of BMF creates an opportunity for MSR-Home to carry some studies to develop the livelihood pattern of the migrants’ family as well as community people of Bangladesh.
Capacity Development: BMF always give emphasis on creating self-dependent, skilled and potential manpower within the country; for which it carries some training for the returnee migrants (for reintegration), youths and community people as per their needs. In this connection, MSR-Home carried a TNA (Training Needs Assessment) among the returnee migrants, Survivors of Labor trafficking, community youths to identify the types, trends and dynamics of various training.
Disability Development: BMF experienced to deal several cases where the survivor (labor trafficking) became physically disable due to physical torture at abroad. BMF support theses survivors with proper medical treatments and which is a continuous process. MSR-Home maintained the data base of these disabled survivors and studying to find out solutions for protecting the migrants’ rights.
Advocacy and Networking: BMF engaged MSR-Home on different national advocacy programs for presenting the present situation of the migrants’ labor as well as their family and find out the scope of work to improve the situation.
Policy Reformulation: Through different Surveys, Research and Studies MSR-Home assist BMF to pressurize the Policy makers to reformulate the existing Policies related to Migrants Rights and protecting the rights of Migrants Labors.
Project Management: MSR-Home also has the experience to develop different management tools for operating any development projects. It regularly monitors and Evaluate different programs of BMF and other cluster organizations of BMF.
Resource Pool and Key Researchers Involvements:
Migrants Survey and Research Home (MSR-Home) has a Resource Pool with 10 regular expert and well experienced Researchers and activist; who are all well known in the migration as well as development field. The Resource Pool works in a systematic way for carrying any project or Study which developed by the MSR-Home:
Project (Research, Study or Survey) Operating System of MSR-Home
Volunteers Involvements:
As BMF works with the returnee migrants and the people who want to go abroad as labor all over the country since its inception; it creates more than 1310 volunteers networks in covering 53 districts of Bangladesh. With this network and engagement of several University Students and community Youths, MSR-Home creates its own network with 600 community Volunteers to support its programs and study. These Volunteers are divided into district wise and peer groups to support the followings:
Conducting Surveys (Baseline and others)
Conducting Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
Data Compilation and Drafting
Data Segregation and input (MS Excel and MS Access)
Data Analysis (SPSS and MS Excel)
Data input System Development
Event Management (Discussion Session, Press Conference, Day Observation etc,)
Community Information Sharing
Emergency Supports (Shelter, Disaster and Legal)
Networking and Advocacy
BMF-MSR Home Consultants’’ Profile:
Aminul Hoque Tushar:
Mr. Aminul Hoque Tushar has years of experience in conduction of development research, study and survey and has continuous experience to work as researcher and activist in the field of Labor Migration, Migrants’ Rights Protection and Different Development Programs since 2009.
Mr. Aminul Hoque has the expertise on carrying Different Training, Action Research, Developing the Research Plan, Conduction of Baseline Survey, Report writing and Proposal Development, Journal Article writing and formatting, Organization Development & Management etc.
Mr. Aminul Hoque Tushar has completed his MS Degree in Environmental Science from State University of Bangladesh (SUB) and Completed English Language courses from The British Council, Dhaka (IELTS Preparatory Course) and Notredam College (Learn English). Mr. Tushar was Junior Research Fellow and Teaching Assistant of North South University (Department of Pharmacy), State University (Department of Environmental Science) and UODA (Department of Biotechnology).
Mr. Hoque has been involved with Bangladesh Migrants Foundation (BMF) from the year of its establishment in 2010 and since then worked for the organizational development and management of BMF. Mr. Hoque with the Founder Mr. Joynal Abedin Joy has planned to form a research wing of BMF for conducting various research, study, surveys etc. for the welfare of the returnee migrants and other migrant labors and which leads them to establish the Migrants Survey and Research Home (MSR-Home).
Mr. Hoque has the experience to work with Action Aid Bangladesh, Winrock International, CARE Bangladesh, Oxfam International, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), BMET and so on.
Publication: BMF has a strong team for publication and Documentation. The team consists of volunteers at District level who assist BMF to collect information, data, Case, and relevant documents to disclose the information in front of the migrants and others. BMF values “Rights To Information (RTI)”. It regularly publishes the monthly newsletter `OVIBASIR KOTHAMALA’; which is also an element of advocacy. BMF regularly publish stickers, posters, leaflets etc. for creating awareness among the migrants and community about their rights. Beside these, BMF also produces a Video Documentary on the livelihood of the labors of Malaysia name “Parobashider Norab Artonad”.
Networking:
Bangladesh Migrants Foundation (BMF) has a great network with different Personnel, Cluster Society, Local & National Organizations etc. at the field of Labor Migration, Human Trafficking, Human Rights, Legal Supports, Entrepreneurship Development, Training and Capacity Building etc. at National and International level. Various local and International Developmental Organizations already has noticed about the programs and Activities of the BMF i.e. Winrock International, Action Aid Bangladesh, US Embassy, USAID, BMDF, IOM, ILO, BMET etc.
Networking at National Level:
List of National Partner Organizations
Networking at International Level:
List of International Organizations
Capacity Building: Bangladesh Migrants Foundation (BMF) always arranges different training and capacity building activities for the migrants, BMF staffs, Beneficiaries and for its cluster partner organizations. The Staff Orientation Training is frequent event of BMF so the staffs of BMF will be more skill to operate different programs. The Technical and Life skill training for migrants is also an important area of intervention of BMF. BMF offers various training for its beneficiaries, migrants, volunteers and staffs for building their capacity.
Economic Support Program: BMF has an Economic Support Program for the repatriate Migrants and survivors of labor trafficking for developing their livelihood and eradicate poverty from the society. It has launched a new project under the Economic Support Program name “Aamrao Paari”- We also Can. The project supports the migrants and beneficiaries with involving in various Income Generating Activities (IGA) and credit facilities. The project initially designed with four category of services: “Probashider Shawapna Dana”- (Easy Bike & Four Wheeler Human Hauler), “Migrants Health & Hope”- (Tiens Network), “Shawapna Chaashi”- (Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries culture) and “Bepaari”- (Handicrafts).