Action if agencies take money for jobs in Malaysia: Minister

Legal action will be taken against the recruiting agencies which took money from people in the name of giving jobs in Malaysia as the country is yet to open its doors for foreign workers, the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister said today.

"We are in the dark about Malaysia as the manpower market there has not opened yet, and we don't know when it will open," the minister said.

The minister also advised people not to give money to any recruiting agencies for getting jobs in Malaysia.

The minister said this while replying to queries at a press briefing at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka.

The briefing was organised on the minister's trip from August 6 and 14 to Jordan and Lebanon where he went to see the situation of Bangladeshis living there.

On February 19, Malaysia announced suspending recruitment of foreign workers from all countries, including Bangladesh, a day after Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur signed a deal over hiring workers.

The minister gave his replies based on the allegation that a syndicate of some vested recruiting agencies is amassing crores of Takas from people by giving them false hopes of Malaysian jobs.

Bangladesh government has sent a list of 757 authorised recruiting agencies to Malaysian government, the minister said.

When Malaysia will open its manpower market, the ministry will let people know through a formal notification but till then no one should be cheated by any recruiting agencies, Bagum Samsunnahar, acting secretary of the ministry, told media at media at the briefing.

Tk 57 lakh sent for 1,500 Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arab

The government recently sent Tk 57 lakh to 1,500 jobless Bangladeshi workers as humanitarian aid, the minister informed the journalists.

It is also trying to find jobs for many of them elsewhere in the KSA though its embassy in Riyadh, he added.  

Foreign workers including Bangladeshis are losing their jobs and not getting their salary and allowances regularly as there is a financial crisis in the Saudi Arab, the minister said.

Govt to monitor process of sending female workers abroad

Asked about safety and security of Bangladeshi women workers in Saudi Arab, Jordan and Lebanon, the minister said the government will monitor and scrutinise the whole process before sending them to the countries.    

Top officials of the ministry including Javed Ahmed, additional secretary, were present at the brifing which was held around 11:30am.