Govt to bring migration middlemen under legal framework

The government had planned to bring the middlemen (known as dalal) under the legal framework to ensure discipline in the migration sector, a top official said yesterday.
“For sure, middlemen contribute a lot to the migration process, which the designated government agencies do not. We want to legalise them to make them competitive,” Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment secretary, told the news agency on the sidelines of a workshop in the city.
Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS) arranged the workshop to share findings of a study titled 'Role of Recruiting Agencies in the Manpower Recruiting Process' at BIAM auditorium.
CWCS President Ishrat Shamim chaired the inaugural session of the workshop while acting Director General of Bangladesh Manpower, Employment and Training Hazrat Ali, Vice President of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Reaz Ul Islam and Chief of Party of Winrock International Sara Piazzano also spoke at the workshop.
With the financial assistance of the USAID/Winrock International, the study was conducted in five districts of Bangladesh--Manikganj, Cox's Bazar, Tangail, Comilla and Satkhira-- and in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia.
Citing key findings of the study, Prof Shamim said all migrants working in Malaysia depend on middlemen. Among them, 70 per cent spent between Tk 2 lakh and 2.5 lakh to go there.
Zafar said steps were underway to empower recruiting agencies under the new immigration rules. The migration sector has potential to flourish further as nearly six lakh people went abroad for better jobs last year, he said.
“We have a plan to set up a migration centre and separate units welfare, training and management - for giving a further boost to the sector,” he added.