Migrant Workers of Bangladesh: A Critical analysis of ILO Standards

Bangladeshi citizen travels abroad mostly for employment and contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) through increasing remittance. National instruments aim to manage and provide better protection to the migrants. Various measures have been introduced by successive governments in Bangladesh, including new ordinances, statutory, regulatory orders, and framed rules. International Trade law establishes specific mechanisms to deal with migrant workers over the world. In addition, International Labour Organization (ILO) is aimed to develop the working conditions of the workers and provide them with equal opportunities over the world. Therefore, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Middle East is the main attraction of Bangladeshi workers, and most of the countries are not member state of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Although ILO is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations but has not any specific provisions relating to the non-state parties as well. To this extent, the International Trade Law mandate should come into an organized system or there should be a unique mechanism for migrant workers over the world especially for the countries of the third world. The research endeavors to analyze the ILO standards relating to the migrant workers of Bangladesh and whether these standards are sufficient for protecting the rights of the migrant labour of Bangladesh or not.