Anisur Rahman Khan

Anisur Rahman Khan is a returned migrant. His direct experience of being cheated by recruitment agencies inspired him to become a migrant rights activist in Bangladesh – assisting migrant workers in many countries of destination.

“I think the DTP network of alumni or platform of human rights service providers are the best product of DTP. I take their support in migration disputes. I can reach out now to this network for practical help on individual cases in receiving countries – for release from detention, for repatriation, for payment of wages. I have seen the results of this network.”

Anisur was the Founding Secretary General of WARBE (Welfare Association of Repatriated Bangladeshi Employees) – the first community/migrant-worker based migrant organisation formed in Bangladesh in 1997, Founding Secretary General of WARBE Development Foundation (2007) and Executive Council Member of Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA). He was a trainer of IOM Dhaka Office training pool.

Today Anisur is the Director of the Migration Program with the Awaj Foundation. In this role he is responsible for:

• Pre-decision and departure awareness training to the potential fe/male migrants and garment migrants;
• Application support for the migration process;
• Victims support at home and abroad, including repatriating the bodies of deceased migrant workers to their families;
• Research support, media and community intervention, and advocacy-lobby for policy formulation and implementation; and
• Networking with national and international stakeholders on labour migration issues and individual cases.

He also serves as the Executive Director of IMA Research Foundation, a migrant workers community organisation and is an International Coordination Body (ICB) member of International Migrant Alliance (IMA), an international platform of grassroots migrants.

Anisur engages his government and has represented his organisation in many international forums – raising issues, promoting standards and policy reform. He sees great value in DTP’s training for his work in migrant workers’ rights.

“DTP has great impact nationally and internationally, especially on labor migration issues. After DTP programs, we have harmonised our activities through knowledge learning, good practice sharing, network building.”

He also appreciates the networks that form from DTP alumni. This is a valuable resource in his work.

“Through the DTP we have improved our knowledge on different human rights issues and built a bridge with regional human rights defenders.”