Workers who couldn't make it to Malaysia want their money back
Besides, they demanded those responsible for their plight be arrested and brought under the law
The workers who could not go to Malaysia demanded that the money taken by the recruiting agencies for sending them be returned as early as possible.
Besides, they demanded those responsible for their plight be arrested and brought under the law. They pressed forth their demands at a protest rally of the Sramik Adhikar Parishad in front of the capital's National Press Club today (4 June).
The workers alleged they were cheated by recruiting agencies which stole millions of taka from them with the promise to send them to Malaysia.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
In the rally, General Secretary of the Gonodhikar Parishad Rashed Khan said, "Brokers took Bangladeshi workers as hostages and stole their money.
"All the other syndicates, including the accused four MPs who were mentioned in the media are looting money from people and smuggling it abroad and emptying the country's reserves."
A worker who could not go to Malaysia said, "The government fixed a fee of Tk79,000 for going to Malaysia. But none of us paid less than Tk5-6 lakh. Whenever we asked why so much money is needed, the recruiting agencies would give us an ultimatum that we can choose to pay this amount or not. They took our money by holding us hostage… I was never able to get on my flight."
Akash Ahmed, another such worker, said, "Recruiting agencies took Tk1-2 lakh more than the required amount from us. They still could not send us within the stipulated time. Sadly, it's been a week but the government is not taking any action."
