Govt to provide Tk 270cr incentive to 2 lakh overseas returnees

The government has undertaken a project to provide Tk270 crore as incentive to two lakh people who returned from overseas countries.

Senior secretary Dr Ahmed Munirus Salehin Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry made the disclosure while speaking at a meeting at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban on Tuesday (28 November).

The government has taken the project titled "Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE)" with the support of the World Bank, he said.

A total of five lakh workers returned from different overseas countries during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Many of them are leading an inhuman life, speakers said in the meeting.

The government will provide Tk13,500 to each of the two lakh returnees under the project and it will be disbursed within December, said Munirus Salehin.

Besides, other assistance like self-reliance, getting loans, skilled certificates and entrepreneurship training will be provided to them, he said. 

Replying to a question, the secretary said the project is meant to attach the returnees to us and those who returned during Covid pandemic will be enlisted in the project.

However, the government will think about those who returned after the pandemic, he said.

So far, 59,000 workers completed their registration in the past four months under the project.