MALAYSIA, Oman, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirate are all temporary homes to a large number of foreign workers and many of them are from Bangladesh. And, many of them are eager to get back home to live with the family and acquaintances and contribute to the local development. Some return to the country but many unfortunately again leave behind the family and stepped back into the grueling reality.
A few Bangladeshi migrants think that the country was not favorable for people lie them to start their own business. Some of them remit roughly 80 per cent of their income to their families while they live meagerly making substantial sacrifices. There are, meanwhile, Bangladeshis who have started their own business overseas. There are also many white-collar Bangladeshi migrants in Australia, European countries, Gulf countries, South East Asian countries, the United Kingdom and the United States. A large number of semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh are, however, engaged in blue-collar jobs as well, especially in Gulf countries, Singapore and Malaysia.
But the Bangladesh authorities and the Bureau of Statistics have varying figures, ranging from five to 15 million, about the number of migrants who work abroad. It is awkward that even 50 years after independence, Bangladesh has not developed a system to accurately record the outflow and inflow of migrants despite their significant contribution to the foreign currency reserve. It recently became evident that remittances by migrant workers play an important role in supporting the economy. We should also consider how we would make use of the knowledge and expertise of the migrants who get back home.
In many countries, the migrant who return play a pivotal role in socio-economic development. In view of that, Narendra Modi of India, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of T眉rkiye have called on and encouraged their professionals living abroad to get back and join the rebuilding of their nation. Many other countries keep record of the migrants who return and this is an indicator of a structured intent to reintegrate the migrants who return into the local economy. Unfortunately in Bangladesh, there is no valid record of the migrants, let alone the migrants who return.
The International Organisation for Migration says that there is no recorded figure of the Bangladeshi migrants who have returned. In fact, there is absence of knowledge transfer and absorption mechanism. On their return to homeland, the migrants who return face difficulties in finding employment and in starting a business despite having skills and expertise. Based on the observations, it is relatively apparent that there is lack of clear framework, mechanism, infrastructure and policy to effectively use the skills and expertise of such migrants.
The most important thing to manage out-bound or in-bound migrants is to create a database and provide them with identity cards which will help in keeping record of the migrants. The database will include all information that could be used by the government in creating job job opportunities for them and seeking their expertise. The migrants who return can be given financial loans to start their own business, especially in semi-urban or rural areas. On their return, many try to lay foundation of their future in urban areas.
While some of them could use their skills and capabilities that they have acquired overseas, others return to their villages. But they face the most significant challenges when they return to their roots. Neither is there anyone to hire them nor do they have appropriate infrastructure and facilities to start their own business. This is where an effective rural entrepreneurship framework could play a transformative role. Rural entrepreneurship refers to a process and strategy aimed at empowering rural areas by fostering business activities to minimise the urban-rural gap. Scholars say that rural entrepreneurship is the route towards social, economic and environmental advancement in rural areas. It could possibly curb the trend of migration, especially to the capital city.
The most important thing that could be done is to set up dedicated rural entrepreneurship centres in suburban areas envisioned as the hub for rural entrepreneurial activities. The centres could either be run under public-private partnership schemes or fully managed by local government entities. Because of rapid technological development, the internet has become the game changer. Using the latest technology, web-based or mobile-based applications could be developed which will work as a one-stop solution for the migrant workers who return and want to become entrepreneurs, traders, suppliers, distributors, etc. The tech-based one-stop solution could be well expedite the economic activities in rural areas.
In addition, there should be an integrated system which will allow the migrants who return and want to become entrepreneurs in rural areas to obtain any civic facilities such as trade licences, renting warehouses, shops and houses and, most important, an access to digital finance services. E-commerce could play also a vital role in engaging such migrants in developing rural entrepreneurship. Customised training programmes by the migrants for other rural entrepreneurs through one-stop solutions would certainly create substantial value.
Even promoting rural tourism by such migrant entrepreneurs could highly benefit the development of the locality. By equipping rural areas with easy access to digital financing system, one-stop solution system, infrastructure development and skills and expertise of such migrants can certainly grow rural entrepreneurship. Rural entrepreneurship may, thus, play an instrumental role in dealing with the opportunities and challenges of the migrants who return and ensure an equalised development.
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Dr Syed Abidur Rahman is a teacher at the College of Business Administration in the University of Sharjah, UAE.
