The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an inquiry into accusations against three ex-MPs who are suspected of participating in a scheme linked to the Malaysian labour market.
The ACC initiated the enquiry into several high-profile individuals, including Kashmeri Kamal, wife of former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, daughter Nafisa Kamal, former Feni-2 lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari, former lawmaker Lt General (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Benazir Ahmed along with their associates.
The inquiry has been launched due to allegations of involvement in a lucrative business operation within the Malaysian labour market, ACC spokesman Md Aktarul Islam told The Financial Express on Sunday.
According to the allegations, the ACC stated that Nizam Hazari, elected MP from Feni-2 constituency, obtained a license for a recruiting agency called Snigdha Overseas Limited in December 2018 to send workers abroad. In the three and a half years after obtaining the license, the agency sent only 100 workers overseas.
However, after joining the "Malaysia Syndicate" or network, the agency sent around 8,000 workers to Malaysia in the last one and a half years. Snigdha Overseas now ranks as the 4th largest agency in terms of sending workers to Malaysia.
Lt General (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury, a former MP from Feni-3 constituency, established a recruiting agency called Five M International in 2015.
This agency is currently the top recruiter for sending workers to Malaysia. Since its inception, the agency had sent about 2,500 workers to the Middle East. However, after becoming part of the Malaysia network, this agency alone secured approval to send 8,592 workers.
Ahmed International owned by former MP from Dhaka-20 constituency Benazir Ahmed, ranks 5th in sending workers to Malaysia. Before the reopening of the Malaysian labour market, the agency had little activity and had sent only 238 workers abroad. However, after joining the Malaysia syndicate, it quickly rose to the top, sending 7,849 workers to Malaysia. During the formation of the network, Benazir was the president of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA).
A total of 9,861 workers have gone to Malaysia under the names of Orbitals Enterprise, owned by the wife of former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, and his daughter Nafisa Kamal. At the time of the network's formation, A H M Mustafa Kamal was serving as the Finance Minister.
The allegations further state that, in addition to the agencies of three MPs and a family member of another MP, many other Awami League leaders, city corporation councillors, and new companies in the sector are sending large numbers of workers. Malaysia receives workers from 14 countries, including Bangladesh. However, such a syndicate system does not exist in any other country besides Bangladesh. High-ranking officials from both the Bangladeshi and Malaysian governments are involved in this network. The agencies in this network are receiving a "network fee" of at least Tk 150,000 (nearly $1,800) per worker.
Among the other agencies in the Malaysian labour market syndicate are Oichi Internationall, New Age International, Catharsis International, BNS Overseas Limited, PR Overseas, Sadia International, Imperial Overseas, BM Travels Limited, and Apurba Recruiting Agency.
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