The leaders of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), an apex body of the country’s recruiting agents, have agreed to open Bangladesh’s all markets for migrant workers to all recruiting agencies without any syndication.

After getting such assurance from all members in a views exchange meeting held at a hotel in Dhaka, BAIRA President Abul Bashar urged the government for amending the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Bangladesh and Malaysia over hiring Bangladeshi migrants to the country under its foreign migrants hiring programme.

He also sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention so that the issue of opening the Malaysian market for Bangladeshi workers for all agencies can be discussed in the meetings with Malaysian Home Minister who will visit Bangladesh from February 4 (Saturday).

Bashar said, “We were thinking that more than 500 agencies will send workers in Malaysia. Considering the matter, the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry had sent a list on 1,520 valid agencies to the country.”

“However, they have selected only 25 agencies for hiring migrant workers. It’s their consideration as per the MoU signed between the two countries,” he said.

Bashar said that they protested the decision of syndication. But after the last election of BAIRA, they communicated with Malaysian authorities while they agreed to extend it to 75 and later to 100.

“Now, 100 agencies are working to send migrants there. But, we want to keep the market open for all agencies. We have sent letters to the Prime Ministers and ministers concerned of the two countries requesting them to take necessary measures in this regard,” he said.

“We will try to convince the Malaysian Home Minister during his visit to Dhaka by meeting him at any cost,” said the BAIRA President.

He said: “If we can keep the market open for all agencies, all agencies will be able to work. It would help the agencies to send at least 1,000 migrants abroad from all districts without any charge as per the pledge of the Prime Minister.”

Among others, BAIRA Secretary General Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, Senior Vice President Reaz Ul Islam, Vice President Abul Barakat Bhuiyan, former Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Fakhrul Islam and Akbor Hossain Monju, and agency owners Anwar Hossain, Majibar Rahman, Abdul Matin, Ismail Hossain, Mohammad Forkan also spoke at the programme.

Read more: BAIRA won't submit passports at Saudi embassy anymore