2 officials of Bangladesh HC in KL called back

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The government has decided to withdraw two officials of Bangladesh high commission’s labour wing in Kuala Lumpur allegedly due to their inefficient handling of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.

The decision was taken on the basis of recommendations of a delegation, which visited the Southeast Asian nation recently to probe the problems of the workers.

This was told at a press briefing at the foreign ministry where Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and acting secretary of the expatriates’ welfare ministry Abdul Matin Chowdhury spoke about the workers’ issues in Malaysia and the government steps in that regard.

They however neither named the officials nor gave any detail of taking such decision.

There were, however, allegations that some officials of the Bangladesh high commission were not careful enough while attesting the job demand letters.

The returnee workers also alleged that some high commission officials were present when the recruiting agency men attacked the workers, who were on hunger strike on the high commission premises last month.

The delegation report also suggested appointing three welfare officers to look after the well-being of the workers in Malaysia and recruiting lawyers in some Malaysian states to see the workers’ rights issues.

The foreign adviser said, “We will take immediate actions after reviewing the recommendations to create a favourable environment so that our workers can work safely and enjoy due rights.”

Quoting a letter of Bangladesh High Commissioner M Khaizuzzaman sent to him yesterday, the foreign adviser said that the Malaysian government had made it clear that Kuala Lumpur would withdraw freeze on hiring Bangladeshi workers after solving the problems among the workers, Bangladeshi recruiting agencies and Malaysian local agents.

“It’s very important to improve the procedures of overseas employment. Codes of conduct of the Bangladeshi recruiting agents and Malaysian local agents should be changed,” felt the foreign adviser.

He said Malaysia has already approved appointment of 3.47 lakh Bangladesh workers and 1.92 lakh of them are already there. The remaining workers would go there as per the schedule, he added.

Acting secretary of the expatriates’ welfare ministry said from now on the high commission officials would have to attest the job demand letters only after inspecting the employers’ factories physically.

He said the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training would strictly monitor the activities of recruiting agencies and send reports to the Bangladeshi missions about the workers sent abroad.

The secretary admitted to the fact that the recruiting agencies are charging higher amounts for sending workers to Malaysia.

He said the government is working on introducing a mechanism to eliminate middlemen from the system.

The secretary said about 770 Bangladeshi workers, who met Bangladesh high commission officials on Monday regarding underpayment by their employers, have agreed to join alternative jobs.

He said the government has already cancelled licences of four recruiting agencies and obstructed nine from getting new job demand letters from Malaysia.

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