90% male migrant workers victims of corruption in 2016: TIB

Around 90 percent male migrant workers fell victim of corruption in 2016, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said today.

A total of Tk 5, 234 crore were laundered from Bangladesh for buying Visas for seven countries including Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Malaysia, the TIB report titled ‘Good governance in labour migration process: Problem and way out’ claimed.

“Destination country’s employers and recruiting agents with Bangladesh recruiting agents deal with the buying and selling of Visas,” TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman alleged while replying to a query at a programme held at MIDAS Centre in Dhaka.

Applicants had to pay Tk 13,000 to Tk 15,000 as bribe for approval of each application at Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, the TIB report said.

The ministry approved 61,122 applications in 2016, it said.

Meanwhile, Tk 100-200 was paid as bribe for approval of each application at Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) which processed 7,57,731 applications in the same year, the TIB report added.

“TIB did not contact me before release of the report,” Expatriate Welfare Minister Nurul Islam told The Daily Star while giving his reaction about the findings.

He said that he does not know about the allegations.