Manpower recruiting agencies to get 50 percent of their security deposits back

The Ministry of Expatriate's Welfare and Overseas Employment has decided to temporarily return 50 percent of the security deposits of the manpower recruiting agencies due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The ministry made the decision to enable the recruiting agencies to pay their office rent and employees' salary following the application of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), reads a press release issued on Tuesday. 

The agencies will have to apply to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training for the deposit, complying with the condition of paying it back within a year. 

"If any agency fails to return the money, its licence will be cancelled," reads the press release. 

"The current security deposit for our licence is Tk20 lakh. We applied to get 75 percent of our deposit back. The ministry allowed 50 percent for us. Although this is not enough to recover our huge losses, we still thank the government," said Baira Secretary General Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman. 

"We hope the government will also give an incentive to this sector."