Move to make recruiting agencies accountable

FE Team | Published: October 08, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Naim-Ul-Karim
The government has taken a move to make recruiting agencies more transparent and accountable against the backdrop of suspension of employment of Bangladeshi workers by Malaysian authorities on grounds of fraudulent practices and mismanagement, sources said.
They said the authorities concerned were asked to bring amendment, if needed, to the existing rules and regulations in order to bringing transparency in recruiting agencies and prevent irregularities in export of manpower.
Sources alleged a syndicate of some 100 recruiting agencies controls the country's overseas job market and make hefty business charging additional fees from the overseas job seekers.
"We have already initiated the move to bring more transparency and accountability in the functioning of the recruiting agencies," Abdul Matin Chowdhury, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE) told the FE Sunday.
Sources said it is observed that some leading recruiting agencies sent manpower abroad using licence of another company, having no existence in reality, in connivance with a section of officials of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
"We will examine whether any of the agency owners is maintaining more than one licence," a government official said.
Sources said there are 752 government registered recruiting agencies in the country.
Of which, they said, only about 100 recruiting agencies are controlling the major job markets abroad using most of other agencies as middlemen for providing overseas jobseekers to them.
When asked, the MEWOE secretary said they will not leave any loophole unplugged to uphold the image of the country and increase manpower export,
He said the ministry will recommend to the government to amend existing rules and regulations to bring discipline in manpower export.
Sources said the government might consider issuing fresh licences for running the recruiting agencies.
To stop functioning of a syndicate in manpower recruitment, they said, the government is actively considering further strengthening of state-owned agency Bangladesh Overseas Empowerment Services Ltd (BOESL).
They said if the government can pursue the current move several hundred recruiting agencies might face punitive actions for their alleged involvement in fraud and forgery in manpower export.
Apart from this, the sources said, more than 50 agencies' security money can also be forfeited.
An official source said the government has taken the move after the Malaysian cabinet decided recently to stop entry of Bangladeshi workers into that country.
He said, quoting the Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, the Bangladeshi agents using Malaysians as sub-agents and having involvement of a large amount of money are not a healthy sign and at the same time not good for the country.
Besides, the source said some countries offering employment to Bangladeshis workers have also requested the government to stop fraud and forgeries of the recruiting agencies.