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80pc loans still undisbursed

Returnee migrants yet to get benefit


About 80 percent of the fund of Tk 700 crore is still unutilised as the Probashi Kalyan Bank has so far disbursed only Tk 140 crore. COURTESY

  • National
  • Staff Correspondent
  • Published: 06 Apr 2021, 06:37 PM

The government loans earmarked for migrants forced to return during Covid pandemic apparently failed to benefit them as huge amount still remained undisbursed due to failure of the concerned authorities. 

About 80 percent of the fund of Tk 700 crore is still unutilised as the Probashi Kalyan Bank has so far disbursed only Tk 140 crore.  The said special reintegration loan was allotted for migrant workers returning amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Meanwhile, Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad on Monday said, between July and December, 2020, only about Tk 12 crore was disbursed. However, disbursement picked up pace between January and March this year when loans of around Tk 130 crore were disbursed, the minister said. 

He was speaking at 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. 

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