Bangladesh police cleared an ex-minister and MPs in a Malaysia worker-fee syndicate case
Between 2022 and 2024 Bangladeshi workers bound for Malaysia paid five to six times the government-set recruitment cost through a group of about 101 agencies, according to migrant-rights groups; the Anti-Corruption Commission later put the excess fees at more than Tk 45.45 billion from 267,276 workers. On 15 July 2025 the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a final report clearing 103 accused, including former expatriates' welfare minister Imran Ahmed, a former senior secretary, former MPs and agency owners, citing no evidence. Malaysiakini reported Bangladesh had agreed to halt the probe at Malaysia's request; Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry denied holding a formal meeting. In November 2025 a Dhaka court set aside the CID report and ordered a fresh investigation, and in July 2026 the expatriates' ministry revoked 49 agency licences, but no one has been convicted.
the Bangladeshi representatives agreed to stop the investigation so that Malaysia could resume the recruitment process
Sending workers abroad for remittance should not be our only priority.
Those who were involved in past syndicates must face justice.
warranting licence cancellation under Section 13 of the 2013 law in the public interest
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