Expatriates’ Welfare minister calls for protecting national interest in sending workers to Malaysia

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has stressed the need to protect Bangladesh’s national interest in sending workers to Malaysia, saying workers must be properly skilled before being sent abroad.

“We will send workers only after ensuring their jobs, how much they will have to pay to go, and all other conditions. We are bringing the process under discipline,” he told reporters at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in the capital’s Eskaton this afternoon (6 October).

The minister also called for focusing on the main issue in the national interest, while acknowledging that there were some lapses in the process.

“Let’s focus on the main issue in the national interest. We also have some lapses. Let’s get an update on when we will be able to send workers. We are expecting everything more or less and are providing the necessary inputs through Malaysia’s Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) as much as possible,” he said.

Regarding private recruiting agencies and demand letters, Ariful said many agencies had brought demand letters for workers, and those coming legally through the ongoing process were being verified by officials at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.

“Those that are coming legally through the ongoing process are being verified by our expatriates’ [welfare] officials at the high commission,” he said.

On sending workers through Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), Ariful said the state-run recruiting agency was almost ready.

“Even though they are almost ready, I do not want to take workers through private agencies. If we use private agencies, we will not have control. We have been repeatedly asking for this to be done through BOESL. They are saying that BOESL will be included by 8 October,” he said.

Asked about protests by people who have obtained visas for Serbia, the minister said some travel agencies had taken Tk8 lakh each from hundreds of young people on the promise of providing visas and deceived them.

He said people linked to those agencies were organising the protests.

“If their visas are valid and they have proper work permits, they will receive clearance. But if they are not valid, those responsible will be brought under the law,” he said.

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque and Secretary Mokhtar Ahmed, among others, were present.