ACC will file cases against 11 individuals from 6 recruiting agencies

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to file cases against 11 owners and officials of six recruiting agencies for embezzling and laundering Tk 5.25 billion by charging excessive fees under the pretext of sending workers to Malaysia.

On Thursday, ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain stated that instead of the government-prescribed fee of Tk 78,990, an average of five times more was collected from 31,331 workers. Based on this allegation, the commission approved filing six cases in a meeting held last Tuesday.

In the first case, Ruhul Amin, owner of Messrs Amin Tours and Travels, will be named as the accused. The agency allegedly collected an excess of Tk 1.24 billion from 7,430 workers.

In the second case, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran, chairman of Messrs Merit Trade International Limited and Debate for Democracy, will be accused. The agency is alleged to have collected Tk 584 million extra from 3,489 workers.

In the third case, Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, also known as Noman, of Sadia International, will be named as the accused. The agency allegedly collected Tk 556 million in excess from 3,321 workers.

In the fourth case, Md Iqbal Hossain, chairman, and Badrudozza Chowdhury, MD of Imperial Resource Limited, will be accused. The agency is alleged to have taken Tk 1.36 billion from 8,101 workers.

In the fifth case, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, chairman, and Md Alamgir Kabir, MD of RRC Human Resource Service Limited, will be named as accused. The agency allegedly collected Tk 870 million in excess from 5,202 workers.

In the sixth case, former managing director Abdullah Shahed, director Md Zainal Abedin Nomani, and current manager Shamsher Ahmed of Thanex International Limited will be accused. The agency is alleged to have collected Tk 638 million extra from 3,788 workers.

Earlier, on 11 March, the ACC filed cases against 32 individuals for embezzling Tk 11.28 billion related to sending workers to Malaysia, and on 14 September, it filed cases against top officials of 13 recruiting agencies for embezzling Tk 11.59 billion.

Due to irregularities and syndicates, Malaysia had stopped recruiting manpower from Bangladesh in 2018. Later, on 19 December 2021, the country resumed labour agreements. Subsequently, in 2022, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment issued an office order setting the maximum cost for sending workers at Tk 78,540.