Gang that charged up to Tk 1m, promising jobs abroad, busted
The Special Response Battalion (SRB-4) has arrested 12 members of a gang accused of collecting money by promising overseas jobs, work visas and success in examinations. Later, a mobile court sentenced seven of them to varying terms of imprisonment and fined the remaining five.
They were detained during a drive in the capital’s Technical Mor (intersection) area on Friday morning. Later, in the presence of an executive magistrate, seven people were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from seven days to three months.
The convicts are Suruj Mia of Shariatpur; Sabuj of Patuakhali; Shahin of Pabna; Sujon and Shamim of Sirajganj; Abul Bashar, Durjoy and Kaiyum of Kishoreganj; Harun, Riaz and Kamrunnahar of Bhola; and Rezaul Karim of Rangpur.
Lieutenant Colonel Hafizur Rahman, commanding officer of SRB-4, disclosed the information at a press conference at Technical Mor in the capital at noon on Friday.
He said a covert investigation into the gang was conducted following complaints from the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre (BKTTC) and Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL). After verifying the allegations, the authorities conducted a drive on Friday morning in the presence of a magistrate and brought the suspects to justice.
How the gang operated
According to SRB, the gang assured people aspiring to work abroad that it could arrange work visas at low costs and guarantee that they would pass written examinations. For this, the gang members charged candidates amounts ranging from Tk 40,000 to Tk 1 million, depending on the circumstances. They would then misappropriate the money using various pretexts.
The press conference was told that BOESL, under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, recruits workers for overseas employment through government channels. No fees are charged to candidates during the recruitment process. Anyone with a passport can obtain overseas employment opportunities free of charge by taking the required examinations.
These examinations are held every Friday and Saturday at the BKTTC venue. The broker gang primarily targeted candidates who gathered there to sit for the examinations.
BKTTC does not send workers abroad
Lieutenant Colonel Hafizur Rahman said BKTTC is a training centre that offers training in 24 trades of varying durations. Although its certificates can be helpful in securing jobs abroad, the institution does not directly send workers overseas or arrange employment for them.
Therefore, it is important for candidates to understand that receiving training and securing a job are two different things, he said.
SRB has urged people not to make any payments without verification if anyone demands money by guaranteeing overseas employment or success in an examination.
The force said people must verify information through government offices and authorised agencies to avoid fraud. It also advised anyone who falls victim to such scams to inform the authorities promptly.