Tenaganita, the organisation that prepared the survey report after interviewing 150 jobless and stranded Bangladeshi workers and studying 36 cases of the workers, also described their exploitation as trafficking.

Apart from the official fees including visa, levy and attestation, the outsourcing companies had to pay between 1,500 and 2,000 Malaysian Ringgit equivalent to Tk 30,000 and Tk 40,000 in different forms to the Malaysian home ministry, according to a statement signed by Tenaganita Director Irene Fernandez.

The outsourcing companies, which pen deals with the principal companies for supplying workers through recruiting agencies in Bangladesh, also spend between 1,000 and 2,000 Malaysian Ringgit equivalent to Tk 20,000 and Tk 40,000 as 'lobbyist fee', the statement added.

MAH Salim, former president of now dissolved Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, earlier told reporters that they had to charge more money than the government-fixed rate (Tk 85,000) from the workers for paying the 'lobbyist fee' in Malaysia.

Tenaganita said the Bangladesh government has arrested Salim for collecting unauthorised fees from the workers.

"With such developments, why the Malaysian government is still continuing the outsourcing system for workers recruitment?" said the human rights body.

Tenaganita also submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission in this regard.

There is a general practice in Bangladesh that the recruiting agents collect workers through manpower brokers who also make a good amount from the workers pushing the total amount two to three times higher than the actual cost, it said.

"We are concerned over the 'cuts' the different parties are taking from the total fees paid by the poor Bangladeshi workers," the statement of the human rights body said.

Demanding actions against the outsourcing companies under the Anti Trafficking in Persons Act, Tenaganita said, "We want the outsourcing strategy for labour employment be scrapped as it has failed and brought human rights violations."

The human rights body in its report also quoted the workers as saying that they were given neither jobs nor food.

"The living conditions were deplorable, unhealthy and overcrowded. The workers' passports were taken away on arrival," the Tenaganita report said.

"The workers had a contract attested both by the Malaysian home ministry and the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The attestation was made only after verification of work and demand is confirmed with the principal company. Why then the workers did not get the jobs?" it posed a question.

The Malaysian human rights organisation also demanded the stranded Bangladeshi workers be compensated for their sufferings, repatriated to their native countries safely or employed directly to companies that need workers.

More than one lakh workers have been sent to Malaysia since August last year.