Ami Probashi: A much needed app for migrants

"Ami Probashi" an app for the migrants created by the Bangla Trac Group.

This app, spearheaded by Managing Director Tarique Ekramul Haque and Director Namir Ahmad Nuri, aims to provide a much-needed portal through which the costs of the entire migration process is minimized, in terms of both the time and money spent, says a press release.

This will go a long way towards reducing the bureaucratic red tape and subsequent complexities inevitable in a rigorous process that wishes to ensure safety for all migrant workers.

"Through the app, aspiring migrants complete their applications, search for relevant jobs, connect to government-approved agents, avail airport assistance features amongst a host of other services which will ensure further safety and efficiency in the process and reduce the complicated nature of finding job opportunities abroad. This will add extra layers of transparency to the whole process, so that there remain no questions on the minds of expat workers, both old and new, regarding what steps need to be taken, what fees are involved, and what documents will be required in order to ensure success in the application process," said Tarique Ekramul Haque in the launching event.

In addition, it will prevent fake agencies from cropping up as anyone without the direct approval of the government would be unable to present themselves in the app and target potential migrant workers for human trafficking, keeping one of the largest group of contributors to the economy safe and sound within a digitized process which has their safety and security as its utmost priority. 

This was a concerted effort by the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare, BMET, and Bangla Trac group, in honour of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary, to digitize the process of Bangladeshi expatriate migration, affecting more than 15 million workers who account for a whopping $20 billion in foreign currency remittance, with the benefits of the being officially launched on May 8, in a Zoom meeting attended by the Minister of Expatriate Welfare Imran Ahmad who attended as chief guest, and Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus, Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, amongst a host of other individual. Dr. Kaikaus especially spoke of Ami Probashi being the first app  of its kind to attempt to digitize the entire migration process to such a degree with ambitions of digitization expanding in the future. He went on to say that this will have significant impact on the remittance process, greatly increasing the amount and frequency with which our migrant workers sent money back into country for their loved ones. Such a wholly digitization process, Dr. Kaukaus explained, acting as a singular point for all migration processes, would be a godsend, one which the workers, agents, and all other stakeholders would be grateful exists. 

In addition, this is a tremendous boon for the government as well: the addition of digitization allows the government access to crucial data in the form of analytics which would help authorities better cater to the needs of migrant workers and employers alike and increase satisfaction and productivity across the board. 

What is perhaps more crucial and encouraging is the immense potential the app carries in terms of continuing to improve the process even further down the line, making it easier for millions of potential workers to make the once-perilous journey abroad with much ease, comfort, and security, with the utmost assurance that they are headed for opportunities with the potential to change their lives for the better. 

There are still plenty of future plans in the pipeline, one which will allow more steps within the process to become digitized, from the first step that an interested worker takes by downloading the app to reporting at the destination of employment as they arrive to embark on a new journey of employment. Where once there used to be fear, harassment, doubt, and abuse, the app will allow migrant workers to not merely search for jobs, but also ensure their position as employees and prevent such ugly instances for recurring the future. 

In this regard, the chief guest Minister of Expatriate Welfare Imran Ahmad highlighted the fact that the current launch signifies merely one single aspect of a much larger, holistic process which will function as a complete solutions provider, ensuring that the entire process of migration is digitized. It will essentially be one unified system, providing workers and employers alike a one-stop avenue through which all steps of the process can be undertaken, including BMET registration. in its current state praised the functionality and potential of the app while also reminding us that this not the end; there are still plenty of obstacles in our way, with the coronavirus pandemic being one of the major hurdles, but that should not be the excuse that prevents us from achieving success in the future. He especially focused on the immense impact the app created by Bangla Trac would have, especially in creating a much easier and efficient process for migrant workers but highlighted the need to bring all relevant stakeholders online, not just workers but also agents and employers and everyone else in between. It is through this process of digitizing the entire experience that Ami Probashi will ensure complete transparency and encourage more citizens to participate, thereby increasing remittance flow into the country. 

It is only through creating one single portal that caters to the needs of every single entity within the migrant worker process that we can bring true efficiency and security to the entire process, with the ultimate benefit going to the people of this nation, those who embark on the incredible journey abroad to ensure that their families are provided for. This app will go a long way towards ensuring that their experience in the overseas job employment is one that they truly deserve as one of the largest contributors to the Bangladeshi economy. 

He emphasized the need for all government and private entities involved in the process to provide "due diligence" to the migrant workers, a commendable statement that highlights, once again, that it is the government that works for the people, not the other way round.  

This app is truly a step in the right direction, a step that will revolutionize the migration process and provide countless benefits, not just economically for the nation and financially for the workers, but for the entire nation in creating sustainable development within a sector that has contributed so much.