The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on Thursday recommended strict vigilance to prevent irregularities and corruption in the ministry’s activities and ensure that migrant workers do not face harassment at airports.

The recommendation was made at the committee’s first meeting of the 13th Parliament, held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday with committee chairman A K M Fazlul Haque Milon in the chair.

The committee reviewed the ministry’s functions and budget allocation at the meeting.

It urged all officials of the ministry to perform their duties carefully so that no irregularity, corruption or deviation occurs in its overall activities.

The committee also recommended taking necessary measures to ensure that migrant workers are not subjected to negligence or harassment after arriving at airports.

The meeting was informed that 432,786 workers were sent abroad to different countries between February 18 and September 30 this year, including 36,590 women.

During the same period, remittance inflows stood at $24.75 billion, which was around $2.80 billion higher than the previous period, according to the meeting.

The committee was also informed that 186 Bangladeshis, including 12 women and eight children, were repatriated from Iran with funding from the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board amid the war situation in the Middle East.

It was further informed that overseas workers are sent through government-approved private recruiting agencies and Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL).

There are currently 2,860 recruiting agencies in the country, of which 2,187 are operational, the meeting was told.

The secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, heads of various departments and agencies under the ministry, and relevant officials of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat attended the meeting.