‘If government can send workers for Tk 1.54 lakh, why can’t private agencies?’ minister asks

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has said private recruiting agencies should not charge more than 3 lakh taka to send workers to Malaysia, as the government plans to recruit and send workers through state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) for 1.54 lakh taka.

However, several recruiting agencies have claimed that sending a worker to Malaysia for 2.5 lakh taka to 3 lakh taka is not feasible, estimating the total cost at 6 lakh taka to 7 lakh taka. They shared these estimates with Daily Waadaa.

Rejecting the agencies’ claims, the minister questioned why private recruiters could not operate within the government's proposed cost ceiling.

“Why won't it be possible? This is the government rate. We have determined that we can send people for this amount,” he told Waadaa on Thursday, responding to a question about whether the 1.54 lakh taka figure was realistic.

He said representatives of recruiting agencies had themselves proposed a cost of 2 lakh taka to 2.5 lakh taka at a recent meeting.

“Let them question their own conscience about how much it really takes,” he said. “If we can do it for 1.54 lakh taka, why would they charge more than double? That's my point.”

Asked what action the government would take if agencies charged more than 3 lakh taka, the minister said there would be no leniency.

“If anything extra is taken above this, we will not give any concession. It is zero tolerance,” he said.

Dismissing claims that sending workers for less than 6 lakh taka to 7 lakh taka was impossible, he said the government would not accept what he described as unjust demands from recruiting agencies.

“If they can't, that's their matter. If we can, why can't they? This is nonsense talk,” he said. “Should the government accept their unjust demand just because they say they can't?”

The minister said the ministry had already cancelled the licences of several major recruiting agencies and sealed their offices. He warned that those found violating the rules would face all legal consequences, beyond simply losing their licences.

He added that the list of medical centres approved for Malaysia-bound workers was expected to be ready by Sunday or Monday. He hoped recruiting agencies would disclose their costs once the list was finalised.

Asked whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had issued any specific directive on recruitment costs, the minister said the prime minister had not set a rate but had given clear instructions to ensure transparency.

“He will not tolerate anything unjust or any kind of laxity,” he said, adding that strict action would be taken against those involved in harassing or defrauding workers to ensure that ordinary people could migrate at lower costs.

Eng. Badlur Rahman Khan, president of Malaysia BNP and a recruiting agency owner, welcomed the minister's firm position.

“This is a very crucial point for our government, and I appreciate Ariful Haque Chowdhury's strict guidelines on it,” he said.

However, he stressed that effective monitoring by the ministry and law enforcement agencies would be essential to enforce the government's decision.

“The government must keep a close eye on the activities of agencies and sub-agents. Our past experience during Sheikh Hasina's time was not good. So the minister's promise of zero tolerance shows the government's willingness to act,” he added.