The lack of accountability among recruiting agencies that deceived Bangladeshi workers during their migration to Malaysia and contributed to the closure of the Southeast Asian labour market has given these agencies free rein to repeatedly exploit poor Bangladeshi workers.

The agencies have bagged thousands of crores of taka exploiting the aspirant workers but the government of Bangladesh has never tried to bring them to book.

“Malaysia has closed its market to Bangladeshi workers at least three times in the last 15 years. Each time, the main culprits were unscrupulous recruiting agency owners.

The governments assured us they would take stern action against them, but they never followed through for unknown reasons,” Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP) Chairman Shakirul Islam told the Daily Sun.

Malaysia’s labour market shut down in 2009, 2018 and 2024 and every time, the irregularities, corruption and bribery of the members of a syndicate formed to manipulate the process of sending workers were blamed.

The door of the Malaysian labour market was shut for the first time in 2009 after a phase of sending around 15 lakh Bangladeshi workers making a business of Tk39,856 crore.

The syndicate of recruiting agencies involved in the process was accused of rigorous allegations, including asking for excessive amounts of workers against the real demand, charging Tk3,00,000 instead of the government fixed cost of Tk84,000 and joblessness of workers in Malaysia.

After years of continuous attempts from the government, the market reopened towards the end of 2016 to send workers under the G2G programme.

However, the same syndicate tirelessly tried to make the process controversial and finally succeeded in introducing another programme G2G+ involving only 10 recruiting agencies in Bangladesh in the process. During that time, a worker had to pay Tk4,00,000 to go to the Southeast Asian country even though the government fixed Tk30,000 as the maximum migration processing fee per worker.

Consequently, a ban on the entrance of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia was slapped in September 2018 over widespread allegations of malpractices in the recruitment process and charging higher costs from labourers. The 10 agencies sent over 3,15,000 workers generating a business of Tk1,263 crore.

In 2022, Malaysia’s labour market opened once again. Yet again the syndicate was resurfaced. Initially, only five agencies were selected to send workers, which later increased to a syndicate of 100 agencies in two phases.

They charged Tk5,44,000 on average, according to a survey conducted by the US-based NGO Veritas among Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia from May to October in 2023, though the governments of the two countries agreed to limit the migration cost within Tk78,990.

The persons concerned say that a business of Tk2,593 crore was made by sending around 476,000 people since the reopening of the market.

In the face of continuous concern expressed by the European Union, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and different workers’ rights bodies, Malaysia announced in March this year that it would not take any more workers for the time being and those who have the visas would have to enter Malaysia by 31 May.

According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, 5,26,676 people got their approval to fly to Malaysia. Of them, 4,93,642 got clearance from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training while some 4,76,672 people could reach the Southeast Asian country by 31 May.

Accordingly, approximately 16,970 people could not go amid a scarcity of air tickets despite having Malaysian visas, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury said while briefing reporters at the ministry on Sunday.

He also said that the ministry has formed a six-member investigation committee to probe the reasons why those 16,970 people could not go to Malaysia. The inquiry committee will report and make recommendations within seven days.

Earlier on Saturday, while speaking to media in Sylhet, the state minister said punitive actions would be taken against the recruiting agencies responsible for causing suffering to Malaysia-bound workers.

In the past too, ministers came up with similar statements when the Malaysian labour market was closed for Bangladeshis and the same kind of probe committees were formed. Unfortunately, the recruiting agencies responsible for causing plights of workers and the closure of the Malaysian labour market were never made accountable.

The question remains whether the agencies, which were allegedly involved in irregularities, will be brought to book this time or the deposited money be returned to the deceived workers.

Shakirul Islam said the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment must take all necessary measures to ensure compensation for the workers who could not go to Malaysia.

“If the ministry fails to act decisively this time to hold agencies accountable and ensure they refund workers’ money, it will lose its relevance,” he added.