Expats' welfare minister issues stern warning to recruiting agencies over manpower fraud

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur today issued a stern warning to recruiting agencies and individual agents involved in manpower fraud and irregularities.

“Detective Branch of police and different agencies are monitoring everyone. There is no chance of escape. If you don't put an end to your activities, difficult days lie ahead for you,” he said at the formal launch of an online complaint management module under the Overseas Employment Platform at the InterContinental Dhaka.

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The state minister said discussions were underway to send Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia. “We want to avoid the controversial process of the past and establish a transparent and low-cost system,” he said.

However, he noted that advertisements had already surfaced offering spots in queues for recruitment in exchange for money, which he said was illegal without ministry approval.

Nur alleged that most of the country’s nearly 3,000 licensed recruiting agencies were involved in irregularities. “If the rules are properly enforced, no more than 400 to 500 licences will survive,” he said, adding that the government would cancel licences of fraudulent agencies to restore discipline.

He also cautioned against bribery or irregularities in obtaining loans from Probashi Kallyan Bank.

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed said the government planned to appoint magistrates at the ministry, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), and the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board to provide immediate solutions to complaints.

Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan, special assistant to the prime minister, said the government had several flagship programmes, including a Probashi Card for expatriates, which would incorporate facilities related to complaint resolution.

Developed with technical assistance from Systech Digital Limited, the complaint management module will integrate BMET headquarters and all district employment and manpower offices into a digital system. Migrant workers and their families will be able to file complaints, upload documents and track progress online. BMET officials will conduct investigations, mediation, resolution and reporting digitally.

BMET Director General Jamil Ahmed, RMMRU Executive Director Dr Tasneem Siddiqui, and senior ministry officials attended the programme.