The Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has said that the government will not allow any form of syndicate or corruption in the process of sending Bangladeshi workers abroad, pledging a strict zero-tolerance policy in the manpower export sector.
He made the remarks at a press briefing held at the ministry in Dhaka on Tuesday.
State Minister Md Nurul Hoque and Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed were also present during the briefing.
The minister said that if any irregularities or corruption are identified, strict legal action will be taken regardless of the individuals or institutions involved. He added that an investigation committee has already been formed to look into allegations of human trafficking to Russia and complaints against certain recruiting agencies.
Ariful further said the government will also examine whether any documents or cards were issued without proper approval from Bangladesh missions abroad. He stressed that accountability will be ensured at every level of the recruitment process.
He announced that the government is working to introduce a new “Probashi Card”, which would replace the existing Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) card. The aim is to provide expatriate workers with a single unified system to access services more efficiently.
A special cell is also being planned within the ministry to address complaints and difficulties faced by migrant workers. The minister said expatriates will be able to communicate directly with the ministry through simpler digital platforms, including WhatsApp, instead of relying solely on email.
He also noted that progress is being made toward reopening the Malaysian labour market, adding that recruitment would be conducted transparently without any syndicate control.
The minister reiterated that workers sending remittances through legal channels would receive priority services and additional benefits, while reforms are being considered in technical training centres and recruitment systems to ensure transparency and accountability.
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