Published: 11:19 AM, 04 June 2026
‘No syndicates will be allowed in sending workers abroad’
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury on Tuesday said no form of syndicate or corruption will be allowed in the process of sending workers abroad. “The government will follow a zero-tolerance policy against irregularities and corruption in the manpower export sector,” he told a press briefing at his ministry.
State Minister Md. Nurul Hoque and Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed were also present. Ariful said once the proposed Probashi (Expatriate) Card is introduced, there will no longer be a separate Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) card.
The goal is to enable expatriates to access all services through a single card, he said. Regarding allegations of human trafficking to Russia and accusations against some recruiting agencies, the minister said an investigation committee has been formed and necessary action will be taken after reviewing the relevant documents.
He added no individual or institution will be spared if evidence of wrongdoing is found. It will also be investigated whether any documents or cards were issued without approval from Bangladesh embassies abroad, he said.
The minister said a special cell is being planned within the ministry to quickly address complaints and problems faced by expatriates.
Bangladeshis living abroad will be able to contact the ministry directly regarding their problems, investment-related complications, or administrative harassment, he said. Ariful said many expatriates, especially workers in the Middle East, are not accustomed to using email. Therefore, the ministry is considering the use of easier communication platforms, including WhatsApp, he added.
As long as I remain minister, there will be no syndicate here.
Zero tolerance. Inshallah, the situation will become clear within 10 to 15 days, or at most within a month," he said.
Regarding the prime minister's possible visit to Malaysia, the minister said discussions were ongoing. He said he did not yet have final information on whether any new memorandum of understanding (MoU) or agreement would be signed with Malaysia, but added that the matter would become clearer soon and work was progressing.
Malaysia allows a limited number of Bangladeshi recruiting agencies to send workers, a system widely known as a syndicate in the labour migration corridor. Recruiters say the syndicate system dates back to 2010, when the number of approved agencies was initially limited to 10 before evolving into a powerful mechanism controlling labour migration.
More recently, a syndicate involving 100 agencies has been accused of siphoning off thousands of crores of taka and failing to send around 18,000 workers to Malaysia before the May 2024 deadline. ‘I will leave if I can't free the ministry from syndicates, corruption’, he also said.
On the Malaysian labour market, the minister said that there has been positive progress toward reopening it and that good news may come very soon. He emphasized that if the labour market reopens, it will be done in a transparent and syndicate-free manner. No group will receive exclusive advantages as happened in the past, he said.
The minister said those who send remittances through legal channels will receive special benefits in accessing various government and private services through this card.
He said proposals such as enhanced banking services, digital identification, priority in land-related services, and special healthcare benefits are currently under review.
The minister said one of the major challenges is eliminating corruption from the country’s 101 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) and the manpower export system. “This is one of my key commitments. If I cannot make this sector transparent and accountable, I will not consider myself successful,” he said.
Seeking cooperation from journalists, Ariful said that the government would act quickly if the media provides specific information about irregularities and corruption.
“Provide us with information, and we will take action. If evidence of unlawful activity is found anywhere, strict measures will be taken,” he added.
