Baira blames Malaysian govt, expatriate ministry
Bangladesh Association for International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) today denied responsibility for the debacle of around 17,000 aspirant migrant workers could not fly to Malaysia before a May 31 deadline.
It also denied any irregularities on its part in sending migrant workers to Malaysia.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. It instead blamed the Malaysian government and Bangladesh's Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment for the mismanagement, reports our staff correspondent.
The claims were made at a press conference arranged by Baira at the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunessa Mujib Convention Hall in the capital's Minto Road this morning. Representatives from around a hundred private companies accused of irregularities in the recruitment process attended the event.
"The Malaysian government continued issuing visas even after the May 31 deadline. E-visas were even issued on June 2, which is peculiar. Yet, our ministry granted clearances despite knowing that it was impossible to arrange flights for them," said Baira Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury.
About 2–3 percent of BMET-certified workers fail to travel to their destination country, mainly due to companies being blacklisted for misconduct or the unavailability of tickets, said Mohammad Ruhul Amin Swapan, former secretary general of Baira.
Countering the expat ministry's figure of 16,970 workers who couldn't travel to Malaysia, he said the number is no more than about 5,000–6,000.
"Meanwhile, we are collaborating with the government to either facilitate their travel or a refund," he added.
When a journalist asked Lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari how he could send 8,300 workers to Malaysia in the last 2 years from a mere 300 before that, he said he was not directly involved in sending people abroad.
"I wasn't involved in sending anyone to Malaysia. Neither did I process any visas. I simply facilitated the entire process," he said.
He added that the Malaysian government has kept assigning the same agencies to send the workers.
In reply, the lawmaker denied of any syndicate existing within the recruiting agencies.
He also promised to reimburse the affected migrants and added that a certain group is trying to discredit them.
Lawmaker Masud Uddin Chowdhury, lawmakers Benjir Ahmed, president of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Ministry, Baira President Mohammad Abul Bashar also attended the conference.
Asked about Baira's claims, State Minister Shofiqur Islam Choudhury said that they were not responsible for the e-visas issued by the Malaysian government.
"I think there is no point in blaming anyone for the current crisis. Legal action will be taken as per the investigation. No one will be exempt," he said.
Replying to Baira's other claim that the number of workers who could not go to Malaysia will not be more than 5,000 to 6,000, the minister said, it would be revealed after the probe report.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Sramik Odhikar Parishad, an associate body of Gono Odhikar Parishad, held a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club this afternoon, demanding the arrest of those involved in the aforementioned irregularities and compensation for victims.
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