Brokers continue to control hiring Bangladeshi workers for Brunei
Brokers continue to control hiring Bangladeshi workers for Brunei.
Bangladesh High Commission in Brunei has cancelled passports of some of the Bangladeshi brokers based in Brunei and sent them back home but none of them were brought to justice in Bangladesh.
And many of the brokers got back their passports and continue their human trafficking, said officials.
Passport of broker Mehedi Hasan Bijon was cancelled for human trafficking and visa trading.
He was sent back to Bangladesh by Brunei police. Many victims in Bangladesh filed cases against Mehedi but he evaded arrest and intimidated his victims.
According to official document, Mehedi went to Brunei five or six years ago as a pick up van driver on monthly wage of 400 dollar.
He opened many companies in Brunei and secures visas by bribing Brunei labour officials and sold the visas to Bangladeshi workers through his brokers in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in Brunei.
He took Bangladeshi workers to Brunei by bribing immigration police at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
About 26,000 Bangladeshi workers were sent to Brunei through the so called ‘body contract’ process at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in last two years, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in Brunei.
After landing in Brunei, the workers got no jobs and most of them were forced to smuggle drugs and other commodities across the Brunei-Malaysia border and get involved in other criminal activities, according to Bangladesh mission’s report sent to prime minister’s principal secretary.
Bangladesh High Commissioner in Brunei retired Air Vice Martial Mahmud Hossain informed the Prime Minister’s Office that in last two years 8,427 workers of Bangladesh entered Brunei with employment visas attested by labour wing of the Bangladesh High Commission.
He also informed the PMO that about 26,000 workers of Bangladesh were brought to Brunei in 2019 and 2018 by the brokers without immigration clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.
Each Brunei bound worker had to pay Tk 70,000 to Tk 80,000 at the airport for immigration clearance, said the report.
The High Commission also informed the PMO that cheated by the brokers 2,150 workers complained to the labour wing in 2018 and 2019.
In October last year, Brunei government blacklisted 20 Bangladeshis who were involved with visa trading and many of them were sent back home.
A senior official at Bangladesh mission told New Age that the blacklisted brokers were still in their illegal business in partnership with Brunei citizens.
In April Brunei Sultan is scheduled to visit Bangladesh.
About 30,000 Bangladeshis are currently working in Brunei, mostly in the construction sector, said officials.
News Courtesy: www.newagedb.net
