Agencies demand punishment of masterminds behind Malaysian manpower syndicate

Owners of the country's manpower recruiting agencies have jointly expressed their stand against allowing a 25-agency syndicate for sending workers to Malaysia.

They demanded exemplary punishment of the masterminds behind the formation of the syndicate under the banner "Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) Syndicate Birodhi Mohajote."

A press conference was held in this regard in Dhaka on Wednesday.

They claimed that the Malaysian labour market is yet to reopen for Bangladesh, despite an MoU being signed last year, due to the mismanagement of the 25-agency syndicate.

Speaking at the briefing, former Baira general secretary Ali Haidar Chowdhury, said, "Malaysia takes migrant workers from 13 different countries without any syndicates. 

"It would be quite disrespectful if the syndication clause only applies to Bangladesh."

"A limited number of recruiting agencies will slow down the process of sending workers abroad. Also, hundreds of recruiting agencies, that are capable and worthy, will be deprived of their fair share of the business. 

"Moreover, irregularities, corruption and immigration costs will see a sharp rise," he added.

He said, "In 2015, due to a syndicate of 10 agencies, the scheduled immigration expenditure shot up to Tk3-4 lakh instead of Tk37,000. These agencies smuggled money abroad."

The former Baira president called on the Bangladesh government to revoke the licenses and file sedition charges against the 25 agencies.

According to an unofficial estimate, Malaysia is home to around eight lakh Bangladeshis.