BAIRA opposes syndicates sending workers to Malaysia, submit memorandum to ministry

Members of BAIRA, the association of recruiting agency owners, have demanded amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Bangladesh and Malaysia regarding migrant workers.

This was stated in a memorandum submitted to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment on Monday afternoon.

According to the BAIRA members, they do not want any syndicate in the Malaysian labour market. 

This labour market should not be limited to any specific individuals or groups but must be open to all legitimate recruiting agencies, the memorandum said, adding that it is essential to ensure that workers can be sent at a low cost.

The memorandum also stated that Bangladesh should urge the Malaysian government to cancel the controversial and corrupt online software currently used for worker recruitment in Malaysia.

Those behind the syndicate must be brought under the law and given exemplary punishment, BAIRA demanded.

BAIRA members submitted the memorandum with the signatures of 453 recruiting agency owners, which was signed on behalf of the members by BAIRA's former Senior Vice President Riazul Islam, Vice President Noman Chowdhury, BNP's Dhaka District President and BAIRA member Khandaker Abu Ashfaq, former Joint Secretary General Mohammad Fakhrul Islam and Akbar Hossain, former Vice President Moazzem Hossain, and former Executive Committee member Mostafa Mahmud.

Mohammad Fakhrul Islam said the memorandum was submitted to the office of the adviser and senior secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. 

A discussion was also held with the senior secretary, who stated that the government also does not support the syndicate, he added. 

He assured that they would work on amending the existing Memorandum of Understanding.