Staff Reporter :
Malaysian immigration department has barred entry to 63 Bangladeshi workers and deported them from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The incident took place yesterday, a day after their arrival in the airport. All of the workers, however, had valid travel documents.
Bangladesh government could not explain the reasons what led to the deportation, but Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said it was because of “miscommunication” between the employing company and the recruiting agencies.
“We don’t know why they were refused entry and deported. They all had visas and emigration clearance,” said Tanveer Islam, an official of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
BMET Director General Selim Reza could not be reached for comments immediately.
Visa period expired the day our workers arrived in Malaysia. The employer did not go to the airport to pick them up timely,” BAIRA Secretary General Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said.
Asked about it, Shameem Ahmed said “There might be miscommunication. We will have to look into it.”
Deported worker Md Mukhlesur of Meherpur said they arrived in Kuala Lumpur airport around noon on October 11. After checking the passports, they were kept waiting close to the immigration booth area.
“Nobody came to receive us. We stayed the whole night there,” he told this correspondent via phone.
The next day a Malay man from the company went to them and checked their passports before handing those over to the police there, Mukhlesur said.
“The Malay man only said ‘problem’. Police then sent us to a room in the airport and the next day we were sent back,” Mukhlesur said.
He said the recruiting agency that arranged his job is Catharsis International, one of the ten recruiting agencies accused of monopolising the labour recruitment in Malaysia under the G-to-G Plus arrangement.
BAIRA Secretary General Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury also said Catharsis International Managing Director Ruhul Amin flew to Kuala Lumpur as the problem arose. This suggests the very agency’s involvement in recruitment of the workers.
In a contradiction, the BMET officials said the recruiting agencies that arranged job visas for the workers are Biplob International and Barakat Dynamic Overseas Employment Agency.
Asked about it, Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury said, “This is not supposed to be. It is only through the ten agencies through which the workers’ visas should be processed.”
“We are looking into the matter,” he said.
The BAIRA leader said he already had talks with the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry and the recruiting agencies concerned.
“We are assuring that the workers who were deported are not responsible for what has happened,” Shameem said.
“We will arrange travel of the workers to Malaysia in a week or so. If we cannot, we will make sure that they get their compensation,” he said.
Catharsis International Managing Director Mohammed Ruhul Amin could not be reached for comments.
Malaysian immigration department has barred entry to 63 Bangladeshi workers and deported them from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The incident took place yesterday, a day after their arrival in the airport. All of the workers, however, had valid travel documents.
Bangladesh government could not explain the reasons what led to the deportation, but Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said it was because of “miscommunication” between the employing company and the recruiting agencies.
“We don’t know why they were refused entry and deported. They all had visas and emigration clearance,” said Tanveer Islam, an official of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
BMET Director General Selim Reza could not be reached for comments immediately.
Visa period expired the day our workers arrived in Malaysia. The employer did not go to the airport to pick them up timely,” BAIRA Secretary General Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said.
Asked about it, Shameem Ahmed said “There might be miscommunication. We will have to look into it.”
Deported worker Md Mukhlesur of Meherpur said they arrived in Kuala Lumpur airport around noon on October 11. After checking the passports, they were kept waiting close to the immigration booth area.
“Nobody came to receive us. We stayed the whole night there,” he told this correspondent via phone.
The next day a Malay man from the company went to them and checked their passports before handing those over to the police there, Mukhlesur said.
“The Malay man only said ‘problem’. Police then sent us to a room in the airport and the next day we were sent back,” Mukhlesur said.
He said the recruiting agency that arranged his job is Catharsis International, one of the ten recruiting agencies accused of monopolising the labour recruitment in Malaysia under the G-to-G Plus arrangement.
BAIRA Secretary General Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury also said Catharsis International Managing Director Ruhul Amin flew to Kuala Lumpur as the problem arose. This suggests the very agency’s involvement in recruitment of the workers.
In a contradiction, the BMET officials said the recruiting agencies that arranged job visas for the workers are Biplob International and Barakat Dynamic Overseas Employment Agency.
Asked about it, Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury said, “This is not supposed to be. It is only through the ten agencies through which the workers’ visas should be processed.”
“We are looking into the matter,” he said.
The BAIRA leader said he already had talks with the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry and the recruiting agencies concerned.
“We are assuring that the workers who were deported are not responsible for what has happened,” Shameem said.
“We will arrange travel of the workers to Malaysia in a week or so. If we cannot, we will make sure that they get their compensation,” he said.
Catharsis International Managing Director Mohammed Ruhul Amin could not be reached for comments.
