Govt revokes licences of 49 recruiting agencies over Malaysia labour syndicate case
The agencies have been accused of forming a recruitment syndicate, embezzling several thousand crore taka from migrant workers.
Highlights
- Licences of 49 recruiting agencies revoked
- Agencies linked to Malaysia labour syndicate allegations
- Charge sheet prompted ministry's latest action
- Former Bayra leader questions licence cancellation decision
- Agencies accused of siphoning off billions of taka
The government has revoked the licences of 49 recruiting agencies for their alleged involvement in a syndicate that manipulated Bangladesh's labour market for Malaysia.
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The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment's Monitoring Wing issued a gazette notification today (20 July) in this regard.
According to the ministry sources, the agencies had been accused of forming a recruitment syndicate, embezzling several thousand crore taka from migrant workers and laundering the proceeds abroad.
On 3 September 2024, Altab Khan, proprietor of Afia Overseas, filed a human trafficking case at Paltan Police Station against 103 individuals, accusing them of embezzling Tk24,000 crore through an organised syndicate.
The investigating officer subsequently submitted a charge sheet against the 49 agencies, prompting the ministry to revoke their licences.
The agencies whose licences have been revoked include Orbitals Enterprise, owned by Kashmery Kamal, wife of former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal; Snigdha Overseas, owned by former Awami League MP Nizam Uddin Hazari; Ahmed International, owned by former Awami League MP Benjir Ahmed; and 5M International, owned by former Jatiya Party MP Masud Uddin Chowdhury.
The government has also revoked the licences of Catharsis International, owned by former Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) Secretary General Ruhul Amin Swapan, who is allegedly one of the masterminds of the Malaysia recruitment syndicate, and Unique Eastern, owned by former Baira leader Md Noor Ali.
The notification stated that the licences were revoked under Section 13 of the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013, after the court accepted the charge sheet filed against the agencies under Sections 406, 420, 385, 386, 427 and 34 of the Penal Code, 1860.
The ministry further said the order had been issued in the public interest.
Reacting to the decision, Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, proprietor of Sadia International and former secretary general of Baira, questioned the rationale behind revoking the licences.
"About 100 agencies were involved in sending workers to Malaysia. If that is the case, why have the licences of only 49 agencies been revoked? If wrongdoing occurred, shouldn't everyone involved be held accountable?" he told The Business Standard.
He also questioned the legality of the move before the completion of judicial proceedings. "I do not understand how the government can revoke licences before a court reaches a final verdict on the allegations.
