Dhaka probes high level corruption in labour supply to M'sia: Report

The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched a corruption investigation into a high-powered manpower supply syndicate sending workers to Malaysia, allegedly with support from Malaysian officials, local media reported.

The alleged syndicate includes four former MPs and former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who are investigated for allegedly embezzling about 24,000 crore Bangladeshi taka (RM8.9 billion) in the labour supply scheme, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The former MPs under probe are Nizam Uddin Hazari, Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Benazir Ahmad.

The syndicate allegedly sent some 450,000 workers abroad in one and a half years but many ended up unemployed and returned home empty-handed.

According to the news website, they are accused of doing so “with the support of senior officials from both the Bangladeshi and Malaysian governments”.

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They allegedly amassed the funds by overcharging workers to secure jobs in Malaysia beyond the 79,000 taka (RM2,941) limit the Bangladeshi government set.

Each worker paid an average 544,000 taka (RM20,253), the website reported.

Almost 500k workers entered M’sia since 2022

Since 2022, some 494,469 Bangladeshi workers have entered Malaysia, according to Bangladeshi government data.

Only 100 agencies were allowed to recruit and send workers overseas, an increase from an initial 25.

The limited number prompted allegations of nepotism and corruption in Bangladesh but the Malaysian government refused to expand the number.

“Previously, some parties disputed whether we limited only 25 agencies but now we have increased them.

“The cabinet has decided to increase up to 100 agencies (from Bangladesh) and as of today we have approved 75 agencies,“ then-human resources minister M Saravanan said in September 2022.

In August of the same year, Bangladeshi news agency Kaler Kantho also reported that Malaysian MPs had sent letters of recommendation to then-prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on behalf of Bangladeshi recruitment agencies to allow them to recruit workers.

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