The findings of an IOM desk review on Bangladeshi student mobility
were used this week to inform an IOM-organized national dialogue on
the issue, the first of its kind in the country.

The joint recommendations issued at the end of the dialogue
attended by diplomatic missions, government ministries, students'
associations, counselling centres and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), included the need for a regulatory policy on
Bangladeshi student mobility and the provision of better
information services on educational possibilities and processes by
the diplomatic missions of destination countries present in
Dhaka.

"Mobility of students for acquiring knowledge is a welcoming and
not so new phenomenon, but in many countries including Bangladesh,
student migration is increasingly being taken as a route for long
term emigration, sometimes resulting in irregular migration," says
IOM  Regional Representative Rabab Fatima.

Student migration from Bangladesh has been little researched in
comparison with labour migration from the south Asian country. What
data exists dates from 2007 from UNESCO, citing 14,758 Bangladeshi
studying abroad. Australia, UK, USA, Japan and Cyprus were the top
five destinations then.

The IOM review found that Bangladeshi students lack proper
information on studying abroad, relying on agencies that misinform
them and who charge exorbitant fees they shouldn't. Destination
countries report that Bangladeshi students often stop attending
university after the first semester, preferring to work instead.
However, as they can often end up becoming irregular migrants,
there is no way to track these students.

"The government is committed to addressing the challenges of
student migration and welcomes policy recommendations. Foreign
countries and their missions should also monitor, regulate and
inform regularly about accredited education institutes in their
countries," says Dr. Nazrul Islam, Chairman of Bangladesh's
University Grants Commission.

For more information please contact:

Asif Munier

Tel: 01714114659

E-mail: "mailto:amunier@iom.int">amunier@iom.int

or

Farhana Chowdhury

IOM Dhaka

Tel: +880.2.988.9765

E-mail: "mailto:fchowdhury@iom.int">fchowdhury@iom.int