Licences of 49 recruiting agencies, including 5 owned by ex-AL MPs, cancelled

The government has revoked the licenses of a total of 49 recruiting agencies, including those associated with four former Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Awami League, who were involved in a syndicate that exploited the Malaysian labour market.

This decision was announced in a gazette notification issued yesterday by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment after complaints against these agencies were accepted by the court.

According to the gazette, under the conditions of their licences, recruiting agencies are obligated to comply with the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Act, 2013, the Expatriates' Employment and Migration (Amendment) Act, 2023, and other relevant laws and regulations.

However, complaints against the agencies whose licences were revoked have been filed and accepted under sections 406, 420, 385, 386, 427, and 34 of the Penal Code, 1860. As a result, their licences have been withdrawn in accordance with the Migration Act.

Among the revoked agencies are Orbital Enterprises and Orbital International, owned by the wife and daughter of former Awami League Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal; Ahmed International, owned by Benazir Ahmed, Member of Parliament for Dhaka-20 constituency; Snigdha Overseas Limited, owned by former MP Nizam Uddin Hazari of Feni-2 constituency; and Five M International, owned by Lieutenant General (Retd.) Masood Uddin Chowdhury, former MP of Feni-3 constituency.

Additionally, other notable agencies include Nur Ali's Unit Eastern Private Limited and Catharsis International, owned by Ruhul Amin alias Swapan, who is a key member of the Malaysian syndicate.

Sources from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare state that these agencies were licensed at various times, some several decades ago. If the conditions of the licence are violated, it is revoked. If serious crimes are committed or there is a threat to national security, the licences are withdrawn. Legal battles may be necessary to regain the licences.

Other agencies whose licences have been withdrawn include Messrs. Shaheen Travels, Arving Enterprise, Hridoy Trade International, Rabbi International, Jaharat International, 4 Site International, Binimoy International, Akash Bhroman Limited, QK Quick Express Limited, United Export Limited, GMG Trading Private Limited, Sadia International, The Super Eastern Limited, Elegance Overseas Limited, Midway Overseas Limited, Medina Overseas, Al Khamis International, New Age International, Damashi Corporation Limited, Galaxy Corporation, Sultan Overseas, Prabhati International, Manpower Corporation, Amin Tours and Travels, ISMT Human Resource Development, Darbar Global Overseas, Natasha Overseas, Aparajita Overseas, Stanford Employment Private Limited, Jannat Overseas, BM Travels, BNS Overseas Limited, Rubel Bangladesh Limited, Trans Asia Integrate Services Limited, Al-Farah Human Resources and Consultancy, Brothers International, Thanex International Limited, JG Al-Falah Management, Imperial Resources Limited, PR Overseas Limited, MEF Global Bangladesh Limited, and Ononya Apurbo Recruiting Agency.

After almost four years of being closed, the Malaysian labour market reopened in July 2022, and the responsibility of selecting recruiting agencies for sending workers was given to the Malaysian government.

The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment had submitted a list of 1,520 recruiting agencies to them.

The Malaysian syndicate system is such that not all recruiting agencies in the country are given the opportunity to send workers to Malaysia. Only a small number of agencies get this opportunity. Initially, there were 25 agencies in the syndicate, which later increased to 100 in three phases.

There have been allegations of large sums of money being taken from each agency to include them in the syndicate.

Alongside the agencies of former MPs, many new organisations in this sector, including Awami League leaders and city corporation councilors, sent a large number of workers by entering into the syndicate.

The government-set maximum cost for sending workers to Malaysia was Tk 78,990.

However, on average, a Bangladeshi worker spent Tk 544,000 to go to Malaysia. In 18 months, around 450,000 workers were sent, resulting in a Tk 240 billion trade in this sector.

Due to numerous allegations and irregularities against the syndicate, sending workers to the Malaysian labour market stopped in June 2024.

The last deadline for approved workers to go was 31 May of that year.

Subsequent discussions between the two countries at several instances have not yet resulted in the reopening of the labour market.