Staff Reporter :
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday lodged a case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act at Banani Police Station, Dhaka, against a powerful syndicate accused of controlling Malaysia-bound labor migration through mafia-style operations.
As a major breakthrough, this case has been filed in the ongoing investigation into manpower export corruption.
The case (No. 35, dated 28 August 2025) names retired General Masud Uddin Chowdhury as one of the masterminds of the syndicate. Others identified include Ruhul Amin Swapan, MP Nizam Uddin Hazari, former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, Kashmiri Kamal (wife of former Finance Minister A.M.A. Lotus Kamal), along with Mansur Ahmed Kamal, Mobarak Ullah Shimul, and Abul Bashar. In total, 33 individuals have been accused of laundering more than Tk 175 crore (over BDT 1 billion). The case was filed by CID police officer Mohammad Moniruzzaman, citing documentary evidence of the illicit financial transactions.
This development follows long-standing allegations that a politically connected syndicate monopolized labor recruitment to Malaysia. Since 2017, rights activists and migrant worker groups have complained that a small cartel was charging exorbitant fees, sometimes up to Tk 4-5 lakh per worker, far above the government-approved cost. Investigations by journalists and NGOs had earlier exposed how these funds were funneled abroad through illegal channels, amounting to massive money laundering.
Earlier this year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) began parallel inquiries into former police chief Benazir Ahmed’s unexplained wealth, and several associates linked to manpower syndicates were placed under travel bans. The current case marks the first formal charge bringing together multiple high-profile figures in one organized criminal network.
Officials confirmed that proceedings are underway to file additional cases against other members of the syndicate as evidence surfaces. Migrant rights groups have welcomed the move, terming it a long-awaited step toward dismantling the “Malaysia manpower mafia.”
