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Illegal Manpower Business

JS body for stern move

Staff Correspondent
A parliamentary body yesterday asked the home and civil aviation ministries to take stern action against the unscrupulous travel agents and the officials concerned who are involved in sending Bangladeshi people abroad illegally.
The parliamentary standing
committee on the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment accused a section of officials of various agencies under the two ministries of helping the travel agents in their illegal activities.
The committee members observed that Bangladesh is losing manpower market due to such activities which is also tarnishing the country's image.
State Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Mohammad Quamrul Islam however told the parliamentary committee meeting that drastic actions have already been initiated to stop illegal manpowerbusiness.
Quamrul said his ministry will sit with the home ministry today to work out appropriate measures against the human trafficking in the name of manpower business.
"An inter-ministerial meeting will also be held to discuss the matter. We will fix the date of the meeting after arrival of the foreign minister from Singapore," the state minister told reporters after the meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Members of the committee said a few officials at the passport and immigration department, airlines and police have link with the unscrupulous travel agencies.
The lawmakers suggested strong monitoring of the activities of travel agencies, strengthening passport verification system and imposing restriction on outgoing passengers having tourist visas to stop illegal manpower business.
Abdul Qaiyum, chief of the special branch of police, told the meeting that officials at the airport and passport
office are involved in the illegal manpower business. He admitted that some members of police may also be involved, meeting source said.
The state minister for expatriates welfare said the illegal business is hindering the ministry's effort to send people abroad legally. "We face difficulties exporting manpower to different countries due to the illegal sending of labourers," he said.
"When we were making preparations to send 10,000 labourers to a particular country, we found that Bangladeshi labourers were already there and their number was more that the quota for Bangladesh," meeting sources said quoting Quamrul.
Citing Bangladeshi fortune seekers' recent tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert, ruling BNP lawmaker MA Zinnah said, "I can't understand how these people manage clearance atthe airport immigration."
The special branch chief said the police are investigating the incidents.
Committee Chairman Nazir Hossain told the meeting that expatriates welfare ministry is not solely responsible for sending manpower abroad. "A number of government agencies are engaged in the process. So a combined initiative is needed to stop illegal manpower business," he said.