Reza Mahmud :
A syndicate will dominate the Bangladeshi manpower exporting business in Malaysian labour market which may trigger abnormally high migration costs and to create sufferings for the workers, a number of traders suspected.
Members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said the joint working group meeting between Bangladesh and Malaysia held on June2 opened the close door of the third largest labour market for Bangladeshi manpower which is open finally after more than three years suspension.
Meanwhile, hundreds of members of BAIRA started agitations after signing the memorandum of understanding over opening the labour market for Bangladeshi manpower on December 19 last year.
The agitators alleged that a section of ‘dishonest’ traders are trying to form a syndicate like the previous for manipulating the Malaysian labour market business.
They alleged that Datuk Amin Bin Nur, a Bangladeshi origin Malaysian manpower businessman behind the effort.
The BAIRA members said that earlier on 2016-2018 such a syndicate of 10 agencies plundered huge money charging abnormal extra migration cost from the labours. The syndicate collected Tk three to five lakh from per worker as migration cost instead of the stipulated Tk 35,000.
As a result the labour market suspended recruiting Bangladeshi manpower after sending only 2,75000 workers instead of the stipulated 15 lakh labours.
The BAIRA members said that the latest announcement given on June2 over sending manpower to the East Asian country concealed a syndicate.
They alleged that every legal license holders of BAIRA might not be able to send manpower as the responsibility of choosing recruiting agents has been given upon the host country instead of the common practice of source country.
When contacted, Abul Bashar, former President of BAIRA told The New Nation on Sunday, “Bangladesh side gave the option of choosing recruiting agencies to the Malaysian authorities which is a wrong decision in account of our dignity as a sovereign nation.”
He said, “When Malaysia recruit manpower from Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan or Filipine, the source countries exercise the liberty of stipulating recruiting agents for their own. But Bangladesh gave the option to Malaysia. As a result, the Malaysian side is now trying to fixed the likewise syndicate which their people tried for the last several months.”
The former BAIRA President said also that they heard that the Malaysian authorities mulling to do business with only 25 or some more licenses in Bangladesh.
“If the Malaysian side gives chance to do business only a certain number of licenses, the migration costs will be more high,” Abul Bashar said.
He also expressed hope that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may interfere the matter to uphold the nation’s dignity.
When contacted, Imran Ahmed, Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment told The New Nation on Sunday, “I have given name of all the 1520 licenses to Kuala Lumpur side. Now it is their decision that which licenses they would make choice for the task.”
The minister said also that who alleged that there are a syndication they should make it clear that where is it existing.
“I am working only to open labour markets for our manpower and to protect the interests of our workers going abroad. It is not my duty to make the way of traders doing business,” the minister said.
