Manpower export: Extortion, bribery pose threat to remittance inflow
Staff Reporter :
Country’s manpower export is under threat as many companies are thinking of withdrawing their business from this sector because of bribery, extortion, false cases and harassment.
In this situation, the concerned people fear that the country may fall into a deep crisis of remittance inflow.
They alleged that a section of dishonest officers of the law enforcement agencies have been harassing them and even false cases are being filed against recruiting agency owners demanding bribe, sources alleged.
Experts say that most of the country’s foreign exchange comes from the manpower sector. The manpower sector may suffer in the face of extortion, bribery and harassmentby some law enforcement members when the government is struggling to address the foreign exchange reserve crisis.
Experts are worried that there is a fear that the country’s economy may worsen due to the remittance crisis in the days to come if the government failed to stop such activities.
Experts consider it as a deep conspiracy against the country’s manpower sector and some victims have also complained at various policy-making stages of the government regarding the matter.
Recently, some recruiting agency owners met with the Home Minister and informed him about their problem and harassment by some police officials.
When asked regarding the matter, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that steps will be taken to ensure that manpower exporters are not subjected to any kind of harassment.
“Some recruiting agency owners met with me and placed their allegations. We will definitely look into the matter seriously,” the Home Minister said.
Some recruiting agency owners on condition of anonymity said that since the arrest of some recruiting agency owners in Saudi Arabia last March, some unscrupulous officials of the country’s three law enforcement agencies have allegedly been using the matter as a tool for extortion.
Though an investigation is going on into the complaints against the recruiting agents of some people staying in Saudi Arabia, majority businessmen of this sector are being harassed by raising fabricated and bizarre allegations in Bangladesh, they alleged.
In the name of self-initiated investigation, some police officials called various manpower businessmen and threatened if they refused to meet their demand, the sources alleged.
Meanwhile, police have already filed a case against 30 people including 25 recruiting agency owners with the Banani police station as a plaintiff.
As there is no specific complainant in this case and there is also no government approval.
Several recruiting agency owners alleged that a police officer reportedly had called a major recruiting businessman and asked to meet him. When someone goes to meet him, he makes strange allegations against him and harasses him in various ways in the name of interrogation by intimidation. It is also alleged that paying a large amount of money is only the way avoiding such harassment.
Some manpower exporters also alleged that if they failed to meet the demand of police NID, bank statement and asset account of family members of those businessmen are being seized for non-payment, the sources said.
It is learnt that recently a businessman got away with a bribe of one crore Taka in the face of harassment and in the same way the gang has demanded a bribe of Tk 50 lakh to one crore from at least 30 manpower businessmen, the sources claimed.
Some manpower exporters expressed their anger and said that they have to face harassment every step of the way even though they play an important role in earning the country’s foreign exchange.
It would not be possible to run the business with dignity if the government does not take action right now, they said.
