Last Sunday night on Talking Point on NTV Europe ably presented by Syed Neaz Ahmed where we discussed what the Interim government should do in light of recent events in Bangladesh, and  probashi (otherwise known as Non-Resident Bengalis – NRBs) issues frequently came up.

Voting rights – for many years various regimes in Bangladesh have promised to permit probashi aboard to be able to vote in their home constituencies in Bangladesh. But this has not been operational via the Foreign Service yet in London we see many other natives of other countries voting in their ancestral homes at their consulates and embassies. Whilst the Interim government is looking at the present democratic set-up in Bangladesh, why not look at making this finally happen now?

Which does bring up the issue of the treatment of probashi in the Middle East. Whilst they have much more temporary status than us in Europe and North America, they clearly need protecting and defending by the Bangladeshi foreign consulates, particularly in regards their employment rights.  This needs to be foremost in the minds of the interim government in their dealing with Middle Eastern states and trust we can at least see a new approach.

Probashi investment in Bangladesh is a substantial source of investment funding if not at least hard foreign currency! As they have been sending remittances back to Bangladesh for many decades now from Europe, North America and especially from the Middle East. It appears too many it could all be better used as has been the case in with flows of remittances into China, India and Mexico as well.

and then we have the issue of all the ill gotten gains of aboard through money laundering from Bangladesh. The probashi would be very useful in chasing up these ill-gotten gains of corrupt officials aboard like in London, New York & Paris and other cities around the world. If only via officials in these cities and countries. Some real progress can be made here but it needs coordinating with the relevant public authorities.

And finally the funding and training of RAB ( Rapid Action Battalion) from aboard – scrutiny of this needs to be undertaken, given the role that has been played by them in judicial killings over many years and also over the recent upraising as well.  This maybe best done by the probashi in the relevant countries concerned, in their democratic set-ups.

So l am glad l had an opportunity to give a good airing to the matters and trust the Interim government of Bangladeshi under Prof Yunus will also take on board the issues and concerns of the probashi around the world as outlined above particularly in Europe, Middle East.