Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday held a discussion with senior government officials and deputy commissioners from 14 migration-prone districts as part of a renewed initiative to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration.

The meeting, titled "Renewed Government Initiative for Ensuring Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration," was held at the foreign ministry and chaired by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, MP, according to a ministry release.

State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Haque, MP, and Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Mahdi Amin attended the meeting as special guests.

In her remarks, Shama Obaed stressed the need to strengthen migration governance by linking Bangladesh's international commitments and national policies with realities at the grassroots level, the release said.

The meeting also focused on improving coordination and information-sharing among government agencies and other stakeholders under a "Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society" approach.

Information received from Bangladesh's diplomatic missions abroad on labour-market demand, requirements in destination countries, and emerging regular migration opportunities was shared with the deputy commissioners to support action at the local level, according to the release.

The 14 districts represented at the meeting were Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Chandpur, Chattogram, Dhaka, Noakhali, Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, and Sunamganj.

Senior officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the Ministry of Home Affairs attended the discussion, along with representatives of Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL).

The Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangladesh and other relevant stakeholders also took part in the meeting, the release said.

The initiative comes as the government seeks to strengthen coordination between national-level migration policy and conditions faced by prospective migrant workers at the local level.