Dealing with manpower frauds
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
THERE is hardly any abatement of the activities of the rackets which have been taking large sums of money from gullible people with promises of sending them abroad with jobs. They provide forged visas to such job seekers which are detected on arrival at foreign airports. They are instantly sent back but they lose everything in the process because on coming back they find in many cases that their senders have got away with no trace.
The present interim government should address this problem on a priority basis in view of the latest development relating to the 'temporary' ban on recruitment of Bangladeshi workforce in Malaysia. It should give its due attention to various aspects of frauds in the manpower export trade. There is also opportunity to deal effectively with these fraudsters as the country is under an emergency that make harder and swifter application of the laws possible.
The export of manpower is currently proving to be the main pillar supporting the macro-economy of the country. This sector, therefore, deserves to be protected from all harms so that it can further flourish to realise its greater potential while adding substantially to the country's foreign currency reserve from its better functioning. On the other hand, the cases of great torments at the hands of frauds coming down will mean justice being done to these hapless and helpless people. In many cases, job seekers sell their last bits of ancestral land property or even the family jewellery to provide the fees to the fraudulent manpower agents. When they are detained and sent back from foreign airports or are put in jails there, their very great agonies then should be very easy to understand. After returning home they and their families face only worse poverty and deprivation. Any notion of fairplay and justice demands that these cases of great injustices should be responded with the most unsparing and sternest actions by the law enforcers.
Even those manpower agents who have been sending clients abroad with genuine visas and work permits, do reportedly engage in some unfair dealings. Government has earmarked the maximum amount of fee that can be charged from job seekers in different categories which are to be paid to the agents as their fees. While this regulation is observed on paper, the reality in most cases is that the agents take far greater amounts from their clients leaving no tangible proofs of such transactions. This is also a crime and repression which calls for investigation and actions. With the agents taking only legitimate fees, it should become easier for people to go abroad with jobs. In that case, a greater number would feel inspired to take up overseas jobs which would mean greater earnings for the country from manpower export.
Md Habibullah
Narayanganj, Dhaka
The present interim government should address this problem on a priority basis in view of the latest development relating to the 'temporary' ban on recruitment of Bangladeshi workforce in Malaysia. It should give its due attention to various aspects of frauds in the manpower export trade. There is also opportunity to deal effectively with these fraudsters as the country is under an emergency that make harder and swifter application of the laws possible.
The export of manpower is currently proving to be the main pillar supporting the macro-economy of the country. This sector, therefore, deserves to be protected from all harms so that it can further flourish to realise its greater potential while adding substantially to the country's foreign currency reserve from its better functioning. On the other hand, the cases of great torments at the hands of frauds coming down will mean justice being done to these hapless and helpless people. In many cases, job seekers sell their last bits of ancestral land property or even the family jewellery to provide the fees to the fraudulent manpower agents. When they are detained and sent back from foreign airports or are put in jails there, their very great agonies then should be very easy to understand. After returning home they and their families face only worse poverty and deprivation. Any notion of fairplay and justice demands that these cases of great injustices should be responded with the most unsparing and sternest actions by the law enforcers.
Even those manpower agents who have been sending clients abroad with genuine visas and work permits, do reportedly engage in some unfair dealings. Government has earmarked the maximum amount of fee that can be charged from job seekers in different categories which are to be paid to the agents as their fees. While this regulation is observed on paper, the reality in most cases is that the agents take far greater amounts from their clients leaving no tangible proofs of such transactions. This is also a crime and repression which calls for investigation and actions. With the agents taking only legitimate fees, it should become easier for people to go abroad with jobs. In that case, a greater number would feel inspired to take up overseas jobs which would mean greater earnings for the country from manpower export.
Md Habibullah
Narayanganj, Dhaka