10,000 to go at ‘zero cost’ but fear of old syndicate returns

The labor market for Bangladeshi workers is reopening in Malaysia. The government said 10,000 workers will go in the first phase. They will not have to pay any money. They will be taken to their workplaces on special flights.

Even then, concerns remain. The publication of a list of 25 agencies for sending workers has brought the old syndicate controversy back into focus. Agencies left out of the list and market analysts fear that the process could again fall into the hands of influential groups. They also fear harassment and fraud as a result.

The government says the door to employment for Bangladeshis in Malaysia will soon reopen because of its successful efforts. At the special request of the Bangladesh government, Malaysian authorities have agreed in principle to take 10,000 workers completely free of charge, known as a zero-cost arrangement. The workers will not have to bear any migration expenses including airfare. The first group will be sent to Malaysia on a special chartered flight through the government owned Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL). This will mark the reopening of the labor market.

However, agencies left out of the list and people involved in migration have questioned why a similarly limited list was chosen again after allegations of irregularities in the previous system. Many are also questioning the criteria used to prepare the list and why other legitimate agencies were not given an opportunity.

They say this is not a syndicate free system. Rather, it is merely a strategy to present the old system under a new structure.

On August 21, Malaysia published the names of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies on its online recruitment system, the Foreign Worker Centralized Management System (FWCMS). But the publication of the names triggered strong reactions among agencies involved in manpower exports. Several political parties including the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) also reacted by describing it as a ‘syndicate.’

Following the discussion and criticism, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Foreign Employment said in a notice on Friday that Malaysia is giving 312 more recruiting agencies in Bangladesh the opportunity to send workers as associate recruitment agencies. BOESL will also get the opportunity to work in the process. In the first phase, 10,000 workers will go to Malaysia at no cost.

However, a section of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) has called this an ‘eyewash.’ They said there is no scope to claim that the market has become free of syndicates simply by publishing 312 names without providing clear answers to all the questions. Rather, the 25 agencies will remain in control and the others will work under them as sub agents.

Former BAIRA Joint Secretary General Fakhrul Islam told Agamir Somoy, ‘According to the government statement, the agency screening process was completed by a high-level joint committee formed with the Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and law enforcement agencies. It is very surprising how and when so many ministries listed these 25 agencies. Some of these agencies have not even sent a single worker.’

Agencies Under Discussion

Representatives of the aggrieved agencies alleged that an influential group is still active behind the syndicate involving these 25 agencies just as before. They alleged that Bangladeshi businessman Aminul Islam bin Abdul Noor and his associate in Bangladesh Ruhul Amin Swapan are controlling the syndicate by using Malaysia’s online worker recruitment system FWCMS as a tool.

An investigation found Mangroup Care Link among the 25 recruiting agencies. Its managing partner is Sabiha Sultana, wife of Jubo Dal Vice President Atikur Rahman Biswas. The proprietor of AI Supto Overseas is Farid Ahmed Majumder, Secretary General of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB).

When Sabiha Sultana was contacted by phone for a comment, she disconnected the call after learning the reporter’s identity. Calls to two mobile phone numbers belonging to Farid Ahmed were found to be switched off.

Sources involved in labor migration said Abdul Hai, proprietor of Greenland Overseas, was part of the previous syndicate. This time, however, an agency called United Gulf has been listed in his wife’s name. At least 11 more recruiting agencies have been identified whose names were different in the previous syndicate.

Owners of several recruiting agencies alleged that some small and little known ‘dummy’ agencies have been kept in the list and are being controlled by influential individuals.

What Does the Government Say?

The notice issued by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare said that under a decision taken by the Malaysian cabinet, 25 recruiting agencies each were approved for Nepal and Bangladesh among the five main worker supplying countries. Ten agencies each were approved for India, Pakistan and Myanmar. The decision was made by the Malaysian government.

The 25 recruiting agencies approved for Bangladesh are included in a list of 423 recruiting agencies prepared by the previous interim government. In this context, the Bangladesh government strongly requested that those among the 423 agencies that benefited in various ways during the fascist government and were involved with syndicates be excluded. The remaining agencies should be given the opportunity to send workers to Malaysia.

Regarding this, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Foreign Employment Nurul Haque told Agamir Somoy, ‘As the bilateral agreement made by the previous government remains effective until December this year and the Malaysian authorities have exclusive power to select licenses under the terms of the agreement, Bangladesh’s scope for direct intervention is limited. However, to ensure that the government does not bow to syndicates and can send workers at lower costs, three joint meetings have already been held with the Malaysian government.’

However, migration expert and North South University Associate Professor Selim Reza sees this as a process of creating a ‘mafia group.’ He said, ‘It has not been disclosed publicly on what basis and with what qualifications these 25 agencies were selected.’

The migration expert strongly recommended launching an online tracking system to make the entire process transparent.

BAIRA leaders have also demanded that if necessary, a ‘one stop service’ be introduced through the government agency BOESL and equal opportunities be given to all legitimate recruiting agencies. This would prevent any single group from controlling the market.