KUALA LUMPUR: The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating an alleged syndicate involving four former Awami League government members of parliament for allegedly embezzling Tk24,000 crore under the pretext of sending workers to Malaysia.
The syndicate, reportedly comprising former finance minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury and former MPs Nizam Uddin Hazari and Benazir Ahmed, is alleged to have sent about 450,000 workers abroad within just 18 months, and many of these workers were unable to secure employment and returned home empty-handed.
The commission had formed a three-member investigation team, led by its deputy director Nurul Huda, to investigate the illegal assets and activities of those involved, the 'Dhaka Tribune' reported.
Sources indicated that the syndicate operated with the help of senior officials from the Bangladeshi and Malaysian governments.
Despite the government-set cost being Tk79,000, workers were charged an average of Tk544,000 to secure jobs in Malaysia. The syndicate allegedly amassed Tk24,000 crore through overcharging, while the Bangladeshi Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry allegedly failed to intervene and instead facilitated the syndicate's operations.
When the Malaysian labour market reopened in July 2022, the selection of recruiting agencies was left to Malaysia, with only 25 of 1,520 Bangladeshi agencies being chosen, allegedly without any clear policy.
These selected agencies were reportedly linked to then finance minister Kamal, his family, other former MPs and Awami League leaders. Workers faced significant hardships in Malaysia, with many unable to secure employment and returning home in debt.
Hazari's company, Snigdha Overseas Ltd, reportedly sent only 100 workers abroad in the first 3 1⁄2 years after obtaining its licence. However, the company sent about 8,000 workers to Malaysia within just 18 months after the market reopened.
Similar increases were observed in agencies linked to other former MPs and Kamal's family, with massive profits made by overcharging workers.
The top agency sending workers to Malaysia, 5M International Ltd, managed by Chowdhury, allegedly sent 8,592 workers after the market reopened, a significant increase from the 2,500 workers it had previously sent to the Middle East.
Ahmed International, owned by Ahmed, was ranked fifth in sending workers to Malaysia. The agency's activities surged after allegedly joining the syndicate, with 7,849 workers sent to Malaysia, up from just 238 workers before the market reopened.
Former Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies secretary-general Ruhul Amin Swapan allegedly played a key role in the syndicate, reportedly selecting 69 of the 100 agencies involved. His agency, Catharsis International, sent 7,102 workers to Malaysia. Other notable agencies include BM Travels Ltd and Anannya Apurba, both linked to pro-Awami League figures.