Dhaka: The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated legal action against the proprietors of four recruiting agencies, accusing them of exploiting workers by charging excessive fees and engaging in money laundering in the Malaysian labor market. In a move aimed at curbing financial malpractices, the ACC has filed four separate cases against these agencies.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the cases involve five individuals who allegedly misappropriated over Taka 310.93 crore by sending 18,563 laborers to Malaysia, charging more than the government-approved fees. The ACC's Director General, Md Akhter Hossain, shared these details during a media briefing at the commission's headquarters. The cases were formally lodged by ACC Assistant Director Minhaz Bin-Islam at the Dhaka-1 Integrated Office.
The accused include Farida Banu, Chairman of Celebrity International; Md Abdul Hay, Managing Director of the same agency; Biswajit Saha, owner of Adity International; Mohammad Bashir, owner of Rabbi International; and Hefzul Bari Mohammad Lutfar Rahman, owner of R Ving Enterprise. The ACC investigation revealed that these individuals conspired to extract additional fees from laborers through illegal practices, violating the registration terms of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) and the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA).
The investigation uncovered that Celebrity International charged Taka 58.39 crore from 3,486 workers, Adity International collected Taka 64.52 crore from 3,852 workers, Rabbi International amassed Taka 52.72 crore from 3,148 workers, and R Ving Enterprise extracted Taka 135.28 crore from 8,077 laborers. Despite government directives to refund the excess charges, the agencies failed to comply and instead laundered the funds to Malaysia.
The ACC's findings were corroborated through departmental investigation reports, BMET documents, and witness statements, leading to the registration of cases under multiple sections of the Bangladesh Penal Code and the Money Laundering Prevention Act-2012. The cases are a significant step in addressing corruption and ensuring accountability in the recruitment process for overseas employment.