Published: 12:03 AM, 22 July 2026
Recruiting Agencies Have Licenses Abrogated for Irregularities in Overseas Employment
The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment has canceled the licenses of 49 recruiting agencies, including agencies owned by several former Members of Parliament from the ousted Awami League government, over allegations of forming syndicates and committing irregularities in the Malaysian labor market.
According to an order issued by the ministry on Sunday, recruiting agencies are required, under the terms of their licenses, to comply with the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013, the Overseas Employment and Migrants (Amendment) Act, 2023, and all other relevant laws and regulations.
However, charge sheets have been filed and accepted by the courts against these recruiting agencies under various sections of the Penal Code. In light of this, the notification states that, under Section 13 of the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013, the licenses of these agencies have been revoked in the public interest.
Among the agencies whose licenses were canceled are Orbitals Enterprise and Orbital International, owned by the wife and daughter of former Awami League Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal.
Also included are Ahmed International, owned by former Dhaka-20 MP Benazir Ahmed; Snigdha Overseas Limited, owned by former Feni-2 MP Nizam Uddin Hazari; and Five M International, owned by former Jatiya Party MP for Feni-3 and retired Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury.
The list also includes Unique Eastern Private Limited, owned by prominent manpower sector businessman Nur Ali, and Catharsis International, associated with Ruhul Amin, also known as Swapan, who has been widely discussed in connection with the Malaysia labor syndicate.
Malaysia suspended the recruitment of workers from Bangladesh in 2018 due to allegations of various irregularities and labor syndicates. On December 19, 2021, the two countries signed a new agreement allowing the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers once again.
At that time, the Bangladeshi government set the maximum migration cost for workers going to Malaysia on employment visas at Tk 78,540. This fee was officially fixed by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment through an office order issued in 2022.
Under the agreement between the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia, only 10 designated recruiting agencies were permitted to send workers to Malaysia until 2016. In 2021, the two countries signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), increasing the number of authorized recruiting agencies from 10 to 100.
However, allegations soon emerged that a new syndicate had formed within this expanded system. It was claimed that just 20 to 25 agencies among the 100 effectively controlled the entire process of sending workers to Malaysia.
Following the fall of the Awami League government during the mass uprising on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation into allegations of corruption and irregularities in labor exports to Malaysia.
As part of the investigation, the ACC had already filed cases against the owners of several recruiting agencies. It has now initiated steps to file an additional 60 cases.
According to the ACC, these agencies sent 267,276 workers to Malaysia. Instead of charging the government-approved fee of Tk 78,990, they allegedly collected around five times more, resulting in the illegal collection of Tk 45.452 billion (Tk 4,545 crore 20 lakh 82 thousand 500) in excess fees.
Other recruiting agencies whose licenses have been canceled over allegations of irregularities in sending workers to Malaysia include:
" Messrs Shaheen Travels
" Irving Enterprise
" Heidori Trade International
" Rabbi International
" Jahrat Associate
" Four Sight International Limited
" Messrs Binimoy International
" Akash Bhraman Limited
" Messrs QK Quick Express Limited
" United Export Limited
" GMG Trading (Private) Limited
" Sadia International
" The Super Eastern Limited
" Elegants Overseas Limited
" Messrs Catharsis International
" Midway Overseas Limited
" Madina Overseas
" Al-Khamis International
" New Age International
" Dahmashi Corporation Limited
" Galaxy Corporation
" Sultan Overseas
" Prabhati International
" Manispower Corporation
" Amin Tours & Travels
" Ahmed International
" ISMT Human Resource Development Limited
" Darbar Global Overseas
" Natasha Overseas
" Aparajita Overseas
" Stanford Employment Private Limited
" Jannat Overseas
" BM Travels Limited
" Rubel Bangladesh Limited
" BNS Overseas Limited
" Trans Asia Integrate Services Limited
" Al Farah Human Resources and Consultancy
" Brothers International
" Ananya Apurba Recruiting Agency
" Thanex International Limited
" JG Al Falah Management
" Imperial Resources Limited
" P.R. Overseas Limited
" Messrs MEF Global Bangladesh Limited
