Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury MP at UKBCCI discussion meeting: We will try to solve the problems of expatriates by reviving expatriate cells.

Bangla Mirror Desk:

 

A discussion meeting titled “UK NRB Relations and Foreign Employment” was held on the initiative of UKBCCI, one of the top business organizations in Britain, with Bangladesh Expatriate Welfare State Minister Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury MP, who was the chief guest of the program.

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, said about the various demands of the expatriates that the honorable Prime Minister is very sincere about the expatriates. I want to fulfill the demands of expatriates with his cooperation. He said, I want to decorate the expatriate cell. I will revive it by involving the top administrative officers including the DIG – so that most of the expatriates’ work can be completed through this cell.

The panel discussion took place on Sunday, April 28 at the prestigious Millennium Gloucester Hotel in South Kensington.

UKBCCI Director Barrister Anwar Babul Miah and Rahima Miah jointly moderated the discussion at the beginning of which the founding president of the organization Bajloor Rashid MBE welcomed the guests. Chairman of the organization Iqbal Ahmed OBE, President MG Mawla Miah MBE, former President Nazmul Islam Nuru and UKBCCI Finance Director Kamru Ali spoke.

Bangladesh High Commissioner Syeda Muna Tasnim, Lord Caron Bilamria CBE DL, United Kingdom Awami League President Sultan Sharif, London Bangla Press Club General Secretary and Weekly desh Editor Taisir Mahmud, NTV Europe CEO Sabrina Hossain and Weekly Janomot  Editor Syed Nahas Pasha spoke as special guests on the occasion.

Among the directors of UKBCCI,  Imam Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Karim Nazim, Oli Khan MBE, Saiful Alam, Karim Miah Shamim, eminent persons of the community, businessmen and journalists of print and electronic media were also present on the occasion. UKBCCI Director Siddiqur Rahman joynal, Farzana Neela and Harun Miah welcomed the minister with flower bouquets. The crest was presented to the Minister by the UKBCCI.

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury in the speech of the chief guest also said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was always sincere in fulfilling the demands of expatriates. His privileged daughter Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also always vocal. In 2008, when I was speaking in Parliament demanding expatriate voting rights after I was elected as MP for the first time, the Prime Minister replied that of course expatriates will be given voting rights. The contribution of expatriates in Bangladesh’s freedom struggle will be remembered forever. He gave the right to vote.

He said, after the last election, the Prime Minister called me and said that he is giving you the responsibility of the Expatriate Welfare Ministry. You act responsibly. I could not imagine that he would make me a minister. In fact, the Prime Minister knows who, when, where to sit. He said, I will work wholeheartedly to fulfill the responsibility given to me by the Prime Minister. He said regarding the various problems of the expatriates, I am leaving an invitation to the expatriates, you send your problems to me through the Bangladesh High Commission in London. I will do the things that are within my power to work on. And what I cannot do, I will try to do through the Prime Minister. He spoke to the Prime Minister and assured to take necessary steps to set up housing zones for expatriates.

Bajloor Rashid MBE said that this is the first time that a UK expatriate has been given the responsibility of the expatriate ministry outside Bangladesh. If we are not able to realize our demands now, then it will never be possible in the future. He appealed to all to cooperate fully in the minister’s work to make his ministry successful.

Iqbal Ahmad OBE proposed setting up housing zones for NRBs besides making various demands of expatriates – so that the new generation of NRBs can go to Bangladesh and buy land with foreign currency safely, this will increase the flow of remittances to Bangladesh, He thanked the Prime Minister for declaring December 30 as NRB Day and called for successful NRB Day celebrations every year involving the Prime Minister and ministers of other ministries concerned.

MG Mawla Miah MBE said, only the diaspora can understand the plight of the diaspora. All the expatriates are happy to have an expatriate in charge of the expatriate ministry.