Govt confirms arrest of 3 Bangladeshis

The government has confirmed the arrest of three Bangladeshis in Malaysia since a crackdown on illegal foreign workers began this month.

Sources in the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment said the Bangladesh mission in Kuala Lumpur confirmed the arrest but identities of the three are yet to be known.

The embassy is keeping a watch on the situation, the sources said.

Another 100 Bangladeshis, who were stranded at Kuala Lumpur airport waiting for flight schedule for coming back home, got flight schedule.

The Malaysian authorities said it would not take action against workers who already bought return air ticket and were waiting for flight schedule.

State Minister for Expatriate Welfare Mohammad Quamrul Islam told The Daily Star last night no Bangladeshi workers are confined at Kuala Lumpur airport. All of them either left Malaysia or they are about to leave, he said.

The minister said the number of illegal Bangladeshis in Malaysia is very small. The Bangladesh mission is providing them all help to return home. It is issuing travel pass to workers who lost passport and other documents.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur decided to take back those workers who left Malaysia during the period of amnesty last year. Around 8, 000 such Bangladeshis have already been enlisted and they are in the process of going back, sources said.

Around 1.13 lakh Bangladeshi workers are now in Malaysia with valid documents. Thousands came back home as Kuala Lumpur cracked down on illegal foreign workers several times in the last couple of years.

In mid-90s, the number of Bangladeshi workers in that country was over half a million and fresh recruitment remained suspended since 1997.