The issues came up when the delegation met Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, adviser to the ministries of foreign affairs and expatriates' welfare and overseas employment, at his foreign ministry office in the city.

The delegation also urged the government to make the passport offices free of hassle and corruption and speed up the passport issuance process.

The recruiting agents include former Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) leaders Mosharraf Hossain, Minhaz Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Faruk, Sobhan Bhuiyan, Ali Haider Chowdhury, Mohammad Abul Bashar, Reazul Islam, Abdul Alim, Mohammad Jahangir and Dr JH Gazi.

"We asked the adviser to take legal actions if there are proven allegations against any agency, but not to harass the innocent agencies," said a manpower agent who was in the delegation.

He said a trend has been observed among the law enforcing agencies that whatever the manpower businesses do is illegal. "They must change this apathetic attitude."

The authorities introduced E-ticketing, but many members of the law enforcing agencies do not understand it, which is why they do not allow entry of the travellers to the airport, he said.

The member of the delegation said police clearance for the passport takes too long and the hassle people face at the passport office is unbearable.

He said the delegation proposed to the government if Baira, as an institution, can have the authority to renew passports and change the professions in the passports of the overseas job seekers to reduce the hassle of the workers, as they need to do it very often.

The representatives of the recruiting agencies also demanded amendment to the emigration ordinance, saying that in the present regulations there is no provision allowing the recruiting agencies to preserve passports of others.

"But for genuine purposes, the agencies have to keep passports of the overseas job seekers," he said quoting the discussions at the meeting.

The delegation also urged the adviser to reduce unnecessary regulations in the ministries regarding issuing clearances to the job demand letters.

In response to the delegation's concerns, Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury assured that the government would not harass genuine businessmen.

"We shall consider the matters, but everything must be done under a framework," said another member of the delegation quoting the adviser as saying.