I refer to the Malaysiakini report Bangladesh launches probe on workers' plight . The series of problems faced by Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia involving unscrupulous outsourcing agents and irresponsible employers is alarming.

It has become very critical with the KLIA car park suddenly becoming a shelter for more than 4,500 stranded Bangladeshi workers. We strongly question the credibility of these outsourcing recruitment agents who are able to trade in humans with just a RM500 bank guarantee.

The Immigration Department should send these workers back home within 48 hours if their employers fail to pick them up. The agents' deposits should also be forfeited.

The credibility of the labour attach at the Bangladeshi High Commission here is also questionable. He is the person who checks all the 'job orders' submitted by the Malaysian outsourcing agents.

It is standard practice that prior to the approval of the workers' applications to work in Malaysia, the employers' 'job order' has to be attested by the labour attach. Attestation of the job order requires a check of the employers' term of the work contract and an inspection of the company's facilities for accommodation and working environment.

With the current situation, the Bangladeshi labour attach and ambassador here are fully responsible for the incident of the stranded workers at KLIA. These stranded workers are a disgrace to our Immigration Department and Human Resources Ministry.

Wisma Putra and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar should not pretend that nothing has happened and that this is none of their business. In the event that a diplomat or a foreign mission has engaged in corruption and caused unwarranted problems (like in the case of these stranded workers) a stern diplomatic note has to be issued to the head of the mission.

The Bangladeshi High Commission cannot simply blame the agents and let Malaysia bear the burden of the upkeep of their stranded citizens here. As such, its labour attach' and high commissioner must be taken to task and perhaps asked to leave.

Wisma Putra has to be firm with such the staff of such foreign mission who abuse their tour of duties and create problems for the host country.

The writer is attached Migrant Care, an NGO involved in migrant labour rights.