Shohely Chowdhory : Tk 24,000 crore has been laundered in the name of sending workers to Malaysia. It has been alleged that the large amount of money was laundered only in the medical and syndicate visa processing sectors through a powerful syndicate. Thousands of Bangladeshi workers have been left destitute. Salman F Rahman, the then Prime Minister’s Private Industry Advisor to the Bangladesh government, former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal (Lotus Kamal), former IGP Benazir Ahmed, Nizam Hazari, Lt (Retd.) Masud Uddin Chowdhury and 14 others have been found to be involved in this syndicate. One hundred recruiting agencies worked as agents for the syndicate. The main masterminds behind the huge money laundering are Ruhul Amin Swapan, owner of the recruiting agency Catharsis International, and Aminul Islam bin Abdul Noor (nicknamed Dhatu Sri Amin Md Noor), owner of Bestinet Sdn Bhd.

According to the information received, although 2 million workers were sent to Malaysia for medical check-ups (2022-2024), only 474,000 workers were sent within the stipulated time (2022-2024). Although the Bangladesh government has set the BMET cost at Tk 5,400 per person, the syndicate charges Tk 1,52,000. In addition, although the medical fee is Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500 per person, the syndicate has taken Tk 11,000. However, the maximum cost set by the government to send workers to Malaysia is Tk 78,990. On average, a Bangladeshi worker has spent Tk 544,000 to go to Malaysia. This is Tk 2000 crore more than the fee set by the government. Of this, the cycle fee has been more than Tk 6500 crore. According to a study conducted by Verite Inc. and four other companies (May 2023), members of this migrant worker syndicate charge an average of Tk 544,000 per worker, instead of the government- specified cost of Tk 79,000.

The network of cunning tricks operated through a software company in Malaysia called FWCMS (Foreign Workers Centralized Management System). Dhatu Sri Amin Md. Noor and Ruhul Amin Swapan are the owners of the software service provider company Bestinet Sdn Bhd, which runs the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS). It is alleged that Ruhul Amin Swapan and Dhatu Sri Amin Md Noor, owner of Bestinet Sdn Bhd, have handed over the selection process of Bangladeshi recruiting agencies to Malaysian authorities by adding conditions against the countrys interests to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Bangladeshi government and the Malaysian government. Other influential members include Alauddin Chowdhury Nasim, Kazi Mofizur Rahman, Abul Bashar, Nur Ali, Kala Firoz, Mohi Uddin Mohi, Basek Commissioner, former Minister Imran Ahmed and Secretary Munirush Salehin, owners of 100 recruiting agencies.

On the other hand, on the Malaysian side, the victims have alleged that many people, including Dhatu Sri Amin Md. Noor, owner of the software service provider company Bestinet Sdn Bhd, and former Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmed, are involved. A brief statistics on money laundered in Malaysia shows that the gang has laundered about Tk 87.50 billion. Of this, a fee of 1 lakh taka was taken from each worker, which has become about 500 million taka. Another Tk 375 million was laundered in the name of visa trade. Although only 100 recruiting agencies are allowed in Bangladesh to send workers to Malaysia, many of these organizations are controlled by syndicates. As a result, the Malaysian labour market has repeatedly been closed to Bangladeshis due to the sending of workers through migrant worker syndicates, bribery and money laundering. Recently, in May 2024, the sending of workers to the Malaysian labour market was stopped.

Activities of migrant worker syndicates : Migrants interested in sending workers to Malaysia have to register their names in a software called Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS). The owner of this system was Bestinet, acompany run by Aminul Islam bin Abdul Noor.

Recruiting agency owners said that the registration fee for each worker is 100 Malaysian ringgit (about 2,700 taka), but about Tk 1,07,000 was taken from them. Of this, Tk 7,000 is kept by the local collection agency and the remaining Tk 100,000 is illegally sent to Bestinet in Malaysia. The migrant software only lists those companies that are part of the migrant worker syndicate. The process of sending workers to Malaysia through this syndicate has been conducted through bribery and illegal transactions.

Meanwhile, two members of the Malaysian migrant worker syndicate claim that Dhatu Sri Amin Md. Noor demanded additional money on the pretext of bribing various Malaysian officials. His representative in Bangladesh, Ruhul Amin Swapan, owns a company called Catharsis International. In 2023, a complaint of irregularities by Bestinet was filed with the Bangladesh Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment. The ministry sent a letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia on May 9, 2023, to take action based on the complaints of recruiting agencies and employers in consultation with the Malaysian government. Several recruiting agencies have complained to the ministry due to the lack of e-wallet top-up (deposit of money) from Bestinet.

The Malaysian recruiting agencies have also informed the Home Ministry about the matter. They have also sent a copy of the letter to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare of Bangladesh. Baira has also sent a letter to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare raising the same allegation. Based on that letter, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare sent a letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia on January 2, 2024. The letter said that most of the recruiting agencies selected through FWCMS do not have adequate facilities and capacity to recruit and send workers.

Ruhul Amin Swapans’ connection with Bestinet :

According to the Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) of Bangladesh, Bestinet Malaysia was registered in Bangladesh on March 24, 2024, establishing a company called Bestinet Bangladesh Limited. Aminul Islam bin Abdul Noor serves as the chairman and Ruhul Amin as the managing director.

Money laundering case :

This time, serious allegations of smuggling of thousands of crores of taka have been made against the syndicate running in the Malaysian labour market. In the case, former expatriate minister Imran Ahmed and former secretary Dr. Ahmed Munirush Salehin and 103 others were accused in the case. Altab Khan, the proprietor of the affected recruiting agency Afia Overseas (RL-1010), filed a case number 06 (03/9/2024) of Paltan Model Police Station under Sections 406 / 420 / 385 / 386 / 417 and 34 of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012. The case is currently being investigated by the CID.

Meanwhile, on March 11, 2025, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal alias Lotus Kamal and the owners of 12 recruiting agencies, including his family, on charges of embezzling Tk 1,128 crore in the name of sending workers to Malaysia.

Accounting Commissioner (Prevention) Director General Md. Akhtar Hossain said that the list of accused includes 32 owners and officials of 12 recruiting agencies. They have been accused of embezzling money from 67,380 expatriates by accepting five times the amount set by the government.

The 12 recruiting agencies include – Messrs. Orbital Enterprise, RL No. 113; Messrs. Orbital International, RL No. 1457; Snigdha Overseas Ltd. RL No. 1551; Bhani International, RL No. 351; FiveM International, RL No. 1327; Messrs. Unique Eastern (Pvt.) Ltd. RL No. 321; Catharsis International Ltd. RL No. 549; Messrs. Ahmed International, RL No. 1146; BM Travels Ltd. RL No. 1421; BNS Overseas Ltd. RL No. 1450; Rubel Bangladesh Ltd. RL No. 1455; The Ifti Overseas, RL No. 894.

BMET spent Tk 5,400 per person to send workers to Malaysia, while the government spent Tk 78,990. In response to a question that the syndicate has grabbed Tk 152,000 per person, Fakhrul Islam, general secretary of the recruiting agency Bayra, said, BMET clearance to send workers to Malaysia was 5,400 taka. However, regarding the Tk 152,000, you need to clear two issues. One is that the workers paid Tk 152,000, that is not the issue, the workers paid a lot more money. There are differences, some paid 400, some Tk 500, and some Tk 600,000. It depends on the syndicate. Here, the Tk 152,000 is the additional money that the total workers paid. It looks like an extra money – this money was given to those who created the syndicate, who are the owners, the main person and the main boss.

During the period 2016-2018 and 2022-2024, 750,000 workers left Bangladesh. Each of these 750,000 workers had to pay a contribution of Tk 152,000 from the syndicate. For example, if a worker had paid 500,000 taka, out of which 152,000 taka went to the syndicate. But he could have gone for only 300,000. The owner of Bestinet& 39;s company (FWCMS) and SDN BHD is Amin Md. Noor. Although the government's fixed fee forsending workers to Malaysia is fixed, it is often not respected. But sometimes the workers pay less and sometimes more. Using the government mechanism, using the government minister, they are engaging in a kind of extortion.

There was no medical compulsory in 2006 to 2008, so how did the medical slip (Migram) come into being in 2022? When asked about the fact that the medical fee was Tk 3,000 to 3,500 per person, the syndicate accepted it for 11,000 taka, the general secretary of Bayra said in response – In (2016-2018) and (2022-2024), the syndicate was formed through an online system, which we call (FWCMS). This is an online system of the Malaysian Bestinet company, which will assist the Malaysian government in bringing companies online and provide the facility of the online system. This is an agreement with the Malaysian government. But they misused it and got involved in business with Total Manpower of Bangladesh, it is totally e-legal. First there were 10 people, then 25 and 100 people, they used (FWCMS) to take control of this total control. They did this to keep the medical centers under their control. The medical centers are keeping it among themselves and taking a commission from it. First they took 7 thousand, then there is another 100 ringgit mygram fee, and then another 2500. In the meantime, they also took commission from the medical centers that they gave 7 thousand taka. The owners of the FWCMS system, who approved the medical centers, also took commission. Just like before, the medical centers were not designated by the government, (2016-2018) and (2022-2024) this time too, they were not designated by the government. But they put this in their system and listed the medical centers. So that the medical centers are under them, follow their system, and give them commission. And if they do not give the commission, they will close the medical centers. That is why they have compulsorily approved some medical centers in their system.

About 2 million people have undergone medical treatment and about 474,000 have gone to Malaysia. In addition, agencies who could not go to Malaysia within the stipulated time were asked to refund their money, but the agencies did not refund all the money, Fakhrul Islam said, I do not have the exact information about how many people have undergone medical treatment. But it is not the fault of the center that this medical treatment is done, it is the fault of the agencies. Because the agencies that were in the syndicate would issue medical slips and determine which center to go to. For example, the owner of Catharsis International, Rubel Bangladesh Limited, cannot issue more medical slips than they can. 17,000-plus workers could not go to Malaysia within the stipulated time. It was officially decided in their case that the money they had paid to the agency they had to be refunded. It could be 70,000 or 250,000. Many people received money through this. However, the problem has arisen in the case of workers who paid money to intermediaries. No one else will take responsibility for mediation, there is some gap in this place. As far as I know, every agency that had deposited the money in the recruiting agency has returned this money.

What action do you think Baira can take against those involved, including Amin Noor, Ruhul Amin Swapan, the owner of FWCMS software service provider company Bestinet Sdn Bhd, and the owner of 100 recruiting licenses? In response, he said, Baira currently has no committee. Baira has no opportunity to make a decision. The law enforcement agency will decide on this matter. The case filed against them in Paltan Police Station in 2024 is being investigated by the CID. There have been 12 cases in Dudu. Now the law enforcement agency in those places will scrutinize and take action in this regard. We (Baira) can speak, oppose, and protest at different times. But we cannot do work. The irregularities and corruption that took place during the former fascist government are being investigated at various levels, and this too should be investigated. Because it is the governments’ responsibility to find out who the main person is, who made the arrangements, and who the main protagonist is. They will find out.

BMT spent Tk 5,400 per person to send workers to Malaysia, while the government had set the cost per worker at Tk 78,990. In response to a question about how the syndicate has embezzled Tk 1,52,000 per person, ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhter Hossain said that the government has set the cost per worker sent to Malaysia at Tk 78,990. This includes registration fee, health check fee, visa stamping fee, income tax invoice, welfare fund fee, appearance fee, smart card fee, byara, institutional service charge and miscellaneous expenses. In addition, an investigation is underway into the allegations of 1,52,000 taka per person.

On March 11, 2025, the Anti-Corruption Commission provided information on 12 of these cases filed against 32 people from 12 recruiting agencies. There was no medical (which was not mandatory) in 2006 to 2008, so how did the medical slip (Migram) for 2022 come about? – In response to the question, the ACC Director General said, according to the joint agreement and conditions of both the Malaysian and Bangladesh governments and subject to the approval of the Malaysian government, medical activities are carried out in both countries.

When asked about the medical fee of 3000-3500 taka, but it has been charged at 11,000 taka, Akhter Hossain said, even though it has been charged at Tk 11,000, the record shows Tk 7,500. Even the fee fixed by the government for medical is Tk 7,500. 100 recruiting agencies were involved in sending workers to Malaysia, but investigations and cases have been filed against 12. So what do you think about the other agencies? In response to the question, he said, the process of filing more cases is underway very soon. However, the subject of our investigation is regarding the collection of additional money from all the workers who have gone to Malaysia.

Attempts were made to get Aminul Islam bin Abdul Noor & 39;s statement regarding the allegations, but it was not possible. Ruhul Amin Swapan's statement was also not available. It is believed that they left thecountry after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.