DOT Desk: [2] The Probashi Kalyan Bank has so far disbursed over Tk 140 crore from the Tk 700 crore special reintegration loan for migrant workers returning amid the coronavirus pandemic, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad said yesterday,reports Daily Star. [3] The amount — disbursed between July and December, 2020 — was only about Tk 12 crore. However, disbursement picked up pace between January and March this year when loans of around Tk 130 crore were disbursed, the minister told the inaugural ceremony of a two-day international conference on the reintegration of returnee migrants. The minister hoped that loan disbursement will go over Tk 200 crore by June this year.
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), in collaboration with Migrant Forum in Asia and British Council’s project ‘Prokas’, has organised the conference on “Reintegration of Returnee Migrants affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic”.
Addressing as chief guest at the ceremony, Imran Ahmad said about 4.28 lakh migrant workers have returned home in the last year amid the pandemic.
He said they have taken various initiatives for the returnees’ reintegration, including special loans and providing them with recognition of prior learning (RPL) certificate.
On the other hand, about 1.44 lakh people have gone overseas in the last three months through the official channel, he added.
On inward remittance, the minister said till March of the ongoing fiscal year, the country has received about US$ 18.4 billion.
The amount is already higher than the US$ 18.2 billion that the country received as remittance in the last fiscal year, he said.