Resist any syndicate

A group of recruitment agencies urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to prevent the formation of any syndicate for labour recruitment in Malaysia.

Syndication will lead to a reappearance of the large-scale money-laundering and human trafficking seen in 2016-18, said the Shommilito Somonnoy Front (SSF) of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies in a letter to the PM.

A syndicate would result in monopoly of recruitment and the victimisation of hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi youths, it added. The PMO received the letter on January 13.

Signed by SSF President Mohammad Farooq, Secretary General Mostafa Mahmud and Senior Vice-president Riaz-Ul Islam, the letter was also copied to Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad, the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on expatriates' welfare ministry and the secretary of the ministry.

It referred to the situation of 2016-18 when a syndicate of only 10 agencies, chosen by Malaysia against an offering of over 700 agents, monopolised recruitment.

Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labour recruitment between Bangladesh and Malaysia on December 19, 2020, a total of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies are now reportedly trying to monopolise recruitment.

The MoU brought an end to the Malaysian government's freeze on labour recruitment from Bangladesh since September 1, 2018, when it said malpractices in labour recruitment led to forced labour and debt bondage.

Minister Imran Ahmad denied the existence of any syndicate.

However, according to the recently leaked standard operating procedure under discussion between the two countries, Bangladeshi workers will be recruited by 25 main agencies which will be supported by 250 sub-agents.

In the letter, the SSF said the main barrier of labour recruitment to Malaysia is a vested quarter that is creating a syndicate to monopolise the sector.

During 2016-18, only 2.74 lakh workers were recruited from Bangladesh despite the Malaysian government declaring a requirement of 15 lakh over the next three years, the letter said.

As per the G2G Plus mechanism, the recruitment cost was initially set at Tk 37,000 but it was then increased to Tk 1,60,000. In reality, each worker had to spend Tk 3,50,000 on average for a job in Malaysia.

"Our estimate suggests at least Tk 5,000 crore was laundered from Bangladesh to Malaysia because of the syndication," said the letter.

Apart from that, the syndicate swindled at least Tk 600 crore through unnecessary medical tests of around 12 lakh Bangladeshi workers, the letter said.

"If there is again a syndicate of agents for labour recruitment to Malaysia, our migrant workers will once more become victims of labour exploitation, corruption will spread, human trafficking will increase and the overall potential of the [overseas employment] sector will be affected. Our dignity abroad will also be harmed," said the letter.

In the letter, the SSF also demanded punishment of syndicate members through a judicial commission.

Contacted, SSF Senior Vice-president Riaz-Ul Islam said a majority of the 1400-plus licensed recruiting agencies are against any syndication.

"We want fair play, not monopoly. We want to get rid of the infamy associated with labour recruitment," he told this correspondent yesterday.