Malaysia says it received Bangladesh's request to arrest two businessmen

A Malaysian cabinet official said Sunday (10 November) that the country had received a request from Bangladesh to arrest two businessmen as part of a probe of alleged trafficking of migrant workers, confirming a Bloomberg News report.

Police in Bangladesh are seeking Aminul Islam, the founder of Bestinet Sdn Bhd, and Ruhul Amin as part of the investigation, which also covers alleged money laundering and extortion, Bloomberg News reported on 5 November, citing a copy of a letter that Bangladesh's branch of Interpol sent to its counterpart in Malaysia.

"For now, I can confirm that Dhaka has sent the official notice to" Malaysian police, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told reporters. Saifuddin said he had asked other officials to clarify whether Bangladesh is seeking the men for a criminal investigation or for prosecution, which will determine the next steps.

A lawyer for Aminul called the allegations "nonsensical" and said his client is "prepared to cooperate to provide all information required that will clearly exonerate him and Bestinet from any wrongdoing. Aminul will only do so via written correspondence or a virtual interview, he added.

A representative for Ruhul has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.