– State Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said an investigation committee will be formed to look into the incidents of distress caused to migrants heading to Malaysia and measures will be taken against those responsible.
TBS/GBT: Abdul Momin used to work in a clothing shop in Sirajganj. He had been doing well for himself and his family of four.
Hoping to live a little better, Momin decided to move abroad. He put together Tk6 lakh and handed it over to Al Hera Overseas through a broker named Fazlul Haque to go to Malaysia.
Since then, he pursued the broker for about a year-and-a-half but in the end, Momin could not go to Malaysia because he did not get a ticket even on the last day of the deadline on Friday.
“I took a Tk6 lakh loan at high interest from an NGO. How can I return home now? I can’t show people my face. I heard that people are crowding at my home after knowing that I could not go abroad,” Mominul told The Business Standard in a tearful voice.
Al Hera Overseas Managing Director Shahadat Hossain said, “A total of 25 workers from our agency could not go to Malaysia. I contacted the companies in Malaysia where they were supposed to work. They said the Malaysian government may take some steps for those workers who have e-visas.”
Shahadat Hossain said if any worker could not go, their money would be returned through the broker concerned.
Another Malaysia-bound worker Shaheen Hossain from Sherpur said he paid Tk5.5 lakh to recruiting agency Shahjalal Air International through brokers to go to Malaysia.
Shaheen, a grocer by profession, said due to rising inflation, he decided to sell his shop and go to Malaysia.
“I sold the shop and took loans from various relatives and NGOs and handed it over to brokers. Now I am moving from door to door to brokers and recruiting agencies.
“I have no way to go back home or stay in Dhaka. I don’t see any other option but to die,” Shaheen said.
Shahjalal Hossain Sazzad, owner of Shahjalal Air International, said, “About 60 to 100 workers from my agency could not go. The main reason is that although they handed over all the money to the brokers, the brokers did not hand over ticket money and other expenses to us on time.
“As a result, even though many workers have e-visas, I could not get tickets for them in advance. I tried at the last moment but I could not get the tickets.”
Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), told TBS that Baira and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Foreign Employment are working together for the workers who could not go to Malaysia.
“Moreover, if any worker couldn’t go due to the negligence of any agency, Baira will take appropriate action against them,” he said.
Meanwhile, State Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said an investigation committee will be formed to look into the incidents of distress caused to migrants heading to Malaysia and measures will be taken against those responsible.
“Legal actions will be taken against those found guilty,” he said during an interview with a private television channel on Saturday.
The state minister said, “We had asked the agencies to provide a list of those going to Malaysia by 15 April, but they failed to give any list.”
Thousands of aspirant migrant workers have been facing uncertainty and distress as they tried to reach Malaysia before the 31 May deadline set by authorities in the destination country due to the mismanagement and dubious dealings of a syndicate of recruiting agencies.
According to sector insiders, the deadline set by Malaysian authorities has left over 10,000 aspiring migrants still waiting for flights.