Alleged Members Of Bangladeshi Workers Syndicate May Walk Report

---

 


Alleged members of a recruiting agency syndicate accused of exploiting the Malaysian labour market may walk free after Bangladeshi authorities concluded they were not involved.
This comes after Malaysiakini reported on July 31 that the Bangladeshi government had agreed not to pursue the matter after a request from the Malaysian government.
According to Bangladeshi news agency The Business Standard, the country’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reached this conclusion in its final report.
CID official Md Russel of the Human Trafficking Unit, who investigated the case, said he submitted the final report to the court on July 15.
ADS“We filed the report because no evidence could be established,” he stated, declining to comment further.
This could lead to the release of three former lawmakers of Bangladesh’s Awami League and the family members of former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who were allegedly linked to the syndicate and were arrested.
However, Altab Khan, who filed the police report on the syndicate, had applied to the court to file a no-confidence petition against the decision.
High-level meeting
Last month, Malaysiakini reported that Bangladesh had agreed to stop its investigation into an alleged syndicate exploiting its citizens who wish to work in Malaysia, at the behest of the Malaysian government.
According to an official who requested anonymity, the decision was made during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week between representatives from the Bangladeshi government and the Malaysian Human Resources Ministry.
“Two officials - a special envoy and a special assistant to the chief adviser to the Bangladeshi government - visited Malaysia two weeks ago and held a meeting with the ministry officials.
“In the meeting, the Bangladeshi representatives agreed to discontinue the investigations so that Malaysia can resume recruiting Bangladeshi workers,” the official said.
Malaysiakini was informed that the meeting was held after the Malaysian government sent a letter to Bangladesh, calling for the investigations to be halted on the grounds that it was baseless.
The letter, dated April 23, 2025, was sent by a senior Human Resources Ministry official to a fellow senior official of the Bangladeshi Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.
‘No knowledge’
The Business Standard also reported Bangladeshi Senior Secretary Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan denying knowledge of the purported letter.
ADS“I have no knowledge of this matter. If it has been reported in the international media, our advisers are handling it and have likely responded,” he said.
In September last year, the daily reported that Altab, a workers’ recruitment agency owner, had lodged a police report against 103 individuals, including former expatriates’ welfare minister Imran Ahmed, alleging they were involved in the syndicate.
The report claimed human trafficking and abuse of power were involved in the process of sending workers to Malaysia, using the agencies chosen through the memorandum of understanding signed between both nations on Dec 19, 2021.
Over 480,000 Bangladeshi workers entered Malaysia between 2022 and 2024 through the approved agencies.
However, several local and Bangladeshi NGOs alleged that despite being promised jobs, some get stranded in Malaysia without employment, are debt-ridden, and risk being arrested by Malaysian authorities. - Mkini

---