Bangladesh has called for stronger international cooperation to address irregular migration, safeguard migrant workers’ rights, and ensure fair recruitment and decent working conditions worldwide.

Speaking at the General Debate of the Second International Migration Review Forum at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday, Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury said the country was working to strengthen accountability and improve migrants’ access to justice through a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach.

According to a statement received on Friday, the minister said Bangladesh had formed a Migration Compact Taskforce and adopted a National Action Plan for 2026–2030 to support safe, orderly, and regular migration under the framework of the United Nations Global Compact for Migration.

He said Bangladesh had already fulfilled seven of the 10 commitments it made during the first review forum, while also submitting six new pledges and joining two regional initiatives. The country also presented its first Voluntary National Review on the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration.

Highlighting the growing impact of climate change on migration patterns, Choudhury called for predictable financing mechanisms and greater technical assistance for countries vulnerable to climate-related displacement.

The minister reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to working with international partners to promote safe migration practices and ensure the dignified return and sustainable reintegration of migrants.

Labour migration remains a key pillar of Bangladesh’s economy, with millions of Bangladeshis employed abroad, particularly in the Gulf region and Southeast Asia. Remittances sent home by migrant workers are a major source of foreign currency earnings for the South Asian nation.