Minister vows zero tolerance for Malaysia labour syndicates

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has said no syndicate will be allowed in the process of reopening Malaysia's labour market.

"As long as I remain minister, there will be no syndicate here. Zero tolerance. Inshallah, the situation will become clear within 10 to 15 days, or at most within a month," he said while responding to a question from journalists at a press conference held at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban today (2 June).

Regarding the prime minister's possible visit to Malaysia, the minister said discussions were ongoing. He said he did not yet have final information on whether any new memorandum of understanding (MoU) or agreement would be signed with Malaysia, but added that the matter would become clearer soon and work was progressing.

Malaysia allows a limited number of Bangladeshi recruiting agencies to send workers, a system widely known as a syndicate in the labour migration corridor.

Recruiters say the syndicate system dates back to 2010, when the number of approved agencies was initially limited to 10 before evolving into a powerful mechanism controlling labour migration.

More recently, a syndicate involving 100 agencies has been accused of siphoning off thousands of crores of taka and failing to send around 18,000 workers to Malaysia before the May 2024 deadline.

'I will leave if I can't free the ministry from syndicates, corruption'

Asked whether the expatriates' welfare ministry would become free from syndicates, whether remittance inflows would increase, whether more skilled workers would be produced and whether corruption in technical training centres would be eliminated, Ariful said, "This is my challenge. If I cannot do it, I will leave. I have taken this personally, and this is exactly what we want to achieve."

Special cell formed to resolve expatriates' complaints

The expatriates' ministry has formed a "Complaint Resolution and Settlement Cell" to ensure the swift resolution of various problems and complaints faced by Bangladeshis living abroad.

The ministry disclosed the information in an office order issued by its administration wing on Monday.

At the press conference, the minister said the order would take effect immediately. "Expatriates will be able to submit complaints to this cell. We will also receive complaints through WhatsApp, and the process will be announced."

According to the order, the five-member cell will be headed by the additional secretary/joint secretary of the ministry's Monitoring and Enforcement Division.

The order states that the cell will take necessary steps to quickly resolve complaints received at minister@probashi.gov.bd and minister.expat@gmail.com.

Applications and complaints received, along with actions taken, will be submitted to the minister and secretary on a daily or weekly basis.

The minister said the new committee had been formed to ensure faster solutions to expatriates' problems, while existing complaint mechanisms would continue. He added that efforts would be made to resolve issues through coordination with various ministries and agencies.

BMET card to be replaced by expatriate card

Ariful Haque Chowdhury said that once the proposed expatriate card is introduced, there will be no need for a separate BMET card.

"What will people do with so many cards? We are working to ensure that a single card allows them to enjoy all available facilities," he said.

The ministry said not only remittance-sending migrant workers but also Bangladeshis living abroad in Europe, Latin America, the United States and elsewhere would be eligible to apply.

He said the government had not yet finalised the benefits attached to the card. However, it was examining how cardholders could access currency-related facilities, enjoy easier remittance services, benefit from banking payment gateways and use the card as a digital identity with tracking features.

He added that the ministry was working with the land ministry to provide land-related services through the expatriate card. Cardholders may also receive priority access to government services, including healthcare.

Firm position against corruption, irregularities

Responding to a journalist's question, the minister said allegations against recruiting agencies, including cases where agencies resume operations under different names after their licences have been suspended or cancelled, would be addressed seriously.

The minister said allegations of corruption, irregularities or abuse of power within the ministry and its affiliated institutions would be investigated thoroughly.

"If any individual or institution is found guilty, no one will be spared. We will take whatever action is necessary. A tough stance will be maintained against irregularities," he said.

State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare Nurul Haque and ministry secretary Mokhtar Hossain were also present at the press conference.