Dhaka: Bangladesh on Wednesday sought a global consensus to address the current spate of migration crisis with parliamentary deputy speaker M Fazley Rabbi Miah calling it the worst humanitarian crisis since the World War II as the issue dominates the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly in Geneva.

‘The number of migrants now stands at 50 million . . . the situation is worst since the World War II and a third world nation like Bangladesh is also likely to bear the brunt of the humanitarian crisis,’ a parliamentary secretariat statement quoted him as telling the IPU conference.

Being the leader of a 12-member Bangladesh parliamentary delegation at the 133rd IPU assembly, Rabbi feared the terrible humanitarian issue to pose a threat to the international stability.

He sought coordinated international campaign with active engagement of governments to adopt a rationale global migration policy alongside a stringent action plan against human traffickers who expose thousands to extreme miseries and death risks.

‘Governments of different countries, international organizations, NGOs and other organizations will have to take a coordinated initiative to resolve the crisis,’ he said.

Rabbi said a positive migration policy could ensure win, win situation for all concerned while a large number of Bangladeshis were now living in 150 countries.

‘According to a World Bank study, Bangladesh is now ranked in the seventh place of the world's highest remittance earning nations,’ the deputy speaker said.

His comments came as nearly 700 parliamentarians from 135 countries have reiterated the need for States to save refugees lives and provide them with the necessary care in an emergency resolution adopted at the 133rd IPU Assembly that that began on 17 October.

‘Parliaments and governments are being called upon to develop special measures to address the specific needs of women, girls and young refugees, and to protect them from human trafficking . . . Host countries are being urged not to deport refugees, expel them to a border with another country or take any action to endanger their lives,’ the IPU resolution read.

Besides the conference, the Bangladesh delegation is scheduled to attend a discussion on ‘Democracy in digital era and threat to privacy and individual freedoms’ at the IPU's standing committee on Democracy and Human Rights.

Leader of the opposition Begum Rowshan Ershad, parliament members Abul Kalam Azad, AMB Fazle Karim Chowdhury, M Nurul Islam Sujan, Moin Uddin Khan Badal, Fazle Hossain Badsha, Haji Mohammad Selim, Begum Shirin Naim, Begum Rawshan Ara Mannan and Selim Uddin and parliament secretary M Ashraful Makbul are the members of the delegation.