Expatriates should be encouraged to send remittances through legal channels: Information Minister

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Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan is delivering the chief guest speech at the opening of a program at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital. Photo: Collected

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said that expatriate income or remittance is one of the driving forces of the country’s economy. Expatriates should be encouraged to ensure that remittances do not go through informal or illegal channels to the country through regular banking channels.

He said these things in the speech of the chief guest at the opening of a program at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Sunday (April 12) afternoon.

Center for Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRB) organized the event titled ‘World Conference Series 2026: Branding Bangladesh Beyond Borders’.

In the event, Information Minister Zahir Uddin said that it is important to ensure that expatriates do not suffer any kind of harassment while sending remittance money and that their trust in the banking system remains intact. The relevant organizations should work on what other incentives can be given to bring the hard earned income of the expatriates into legal channels.

He said, currently the sources of earning foreign currency are at risk. In this scenario, there is no alternative to increase the remittance flow through legal channels to keep the foreign exchange reserves strong.

Minister Zahir Uddin said, our aim should be to make the NRB Diaspora more efficient and invest their earned money in the right channels for the development of the country.

He praised the Center for NRB and said that this initiative to reward and encourage those who are helping to send remittances through the banking channel, the bank officers who are contributing in this regard, is commendable.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid, State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Nurul Haque Noor spoke as special guests in the program under the chairmanship of Center for NRB Chairman MS Sekil Chowdhury.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid said, “We have many success stories, but we cannot tell them properly in the world court.” Our language movement of 1952, the great liberation war of 1971, the visionary foreign policy of martyred President Ziaur Rahman and the July 24 coup—these are our brands. They should be properly presented to the world.

Regarding the protection of remittance fighters working abroad, the state minister said that the current government has taken the initiative to modernize and strengthen the foundation of manpower export and remittance which was first established by the martyred President Ziaur Rahman by sending people to Saudi Arabia.

He said, our foreign policy is ‘Bangladesh first’. Our missions abroad are working 24 hours a day to ensure the service and protection of our brothers and sisters in the diaspora.

The State Minister also said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare are working together to bring back expatriate Bangladeshis from war-torn countries including Lebanon.

The event was attended by senior representatives of the banking sector who have made a special contribution in collecting remittances.