The members of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) has demanded 9 points, including issuance of exit permit for up to 24 (maximum 25) visas of Saudi Arabia without attestation by the embassy.
On Wednesday, these demands were made by forming a human chain on the road in front of Probashi Kallyan Bhaban, the headquarters of the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, at Eskaton in Dhaka.
Later, the organizers submitted a memorandum to the Expatriate Welfare Ministry.
Leaders of general recruiting agencies said that manpower export business is considered as the main driving force of Bangladesh. The biggest source of foreign exchange of Bangladesh comes from this sector. Other countries are making the issue of manpower export in one sector easier every day, while our ministry, BMET and embassy are making it difficult. The behaviour of the relevant government ministries, offices and embassies with the recruiting agencies is very much like a criminal and a judge. Where recruiting agencies have no protection.
Therefore, agencies are drawing the attention of the Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment to facilitate the sending of manpower.
The nine point demands of the recruiting agencies are- resolving complications with employment authorization of verified demand; facilitating and speeding up embassy demand attestation; not taking disciplinary action against the recruiting agency before the offence is conclusively proved; abolish the syndicate practice of sending workers to Malaysia, stop abusing human trafficking laws, introducing provisions for disciplinary action against employees who make false allegations and taking strict action against air ticket syndicates and black marketers and introducing labour fairs and redressing unscrupulous behaviour of BMET and ministry officials.
The former vice presidents of BAIRA Riaz Ul Islam, Noman Chowdhury, former joint secretary general Md. Fakhrul Islam, former EC member Shahadat Hossain, former executive member Mostafa Mahmud and others were present at the human chain.
