Bangladesh’s manpower export industry, a vital contributor to the country’s economy, has faced a concerning development that emphasises vulnerabilities in the sector. A recent visit to Dhaka by three Malaysian nationals—Datuk Seri Thayagaraj, Sukumaran NK Nair and Datuk Mohd Noa—has sparked serious concern. These individuals allegedly presented themselves as representatives of the Malaysian government to local authority, intending to influence the unending investigation involving Bangladeshi manpower exporters. However, several sources, with officials of Bangladeshi and Malaysian embassies, confirmed that actually they were not officially representing the Malaysian government. Instead, they were performers aiming to control a part of Bangladesh’s labour market, all while misleading local law enforcement agency.
These three Malaysian visitors, reportedly backed by controversial Bangladeshi figures, with Noor Ali, Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Fakhrul Islam and manpower exporter Ashfaq Hossain, allegedly sought to manipulate Bangladesh’s manpower export channels. Their activities involved misleading the Paltan Police Station into issuing a request to Interpol to suspend Malaysia’s Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS), an immigration software vital to processing foreign labour applications, with those from Bangladesh. Such a suspension would have severely disrupted the flow of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia, generating widespread economic consequence for the industry and numerous families dependent on remittance income.
The attempted request to Interpol—reportedly commenced through deceptive tactics—also bypassed Bangladesh’s recognised embassy channels, specifically the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which should have been consulted to handle any international complaints. Furthermore, this request involved the name of Amin Noor, a Malaysian individual not accused in the case, raising further concern. Such deviations from procedure threaten Bangladesh’s reputation and expose the sector to potentially damaging foreign influence.
The Bangladesh government must deal with this
situation urgently
transparently
This incident is mainly concerning given the previous records of the Malaysian nationals involved. Sukumaran, for instance, allegedly has a history of defrauding Bangladeshi manpower exporters, having faced expulsion from the PASMA business organization twice, in 2001 and 2008, over the same allegation. The actions of these individuals reveal an effort to abuse Bangladesh’s manpower sector through unethical means under the guise of lobour market reform, casting a shadow on the transparency and stability of the sector.
The Bangladesh government must address this situation with urgency and transparency. There is an immediate need for stricter controlling oversight in the manpower sector to prevent manipulation by foreign and local performers with suspicious motives. The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be completely integrated into any process involving global labour relations, ensuring that national interests remain protected. Moreover, law enforcement agencies must remain vigilant against foreign influence and should be better equipped to identify and prevent manipulation by individuals deceptively claiming official relationship.
The labour export market of Bangladesh is a cornerstone of its economy and any attempt to abuse it risks economic harm and damage to the country’s international standing. The government may protect the sector and ensure that it continues to serve as a pathway to economic stability and progress for millions of Bangladeshis by strengthening policy measures and reinforcing transparency and answerability.
