The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed cases against 60 recruiting agencies and a total of 124 individuals—including owners, chairmen, and directors—for allegedly overcharging Bangladeshis seeking to work in Malaysia and laundering the illegally collected money.
According to the ACC, the accused violated government rules by taking an additional Tk 4,545 crore 20 lakh 82 thousand 500 from Malaysia-bound workers, misappropriating the funds and laundering a portion of it.
The information was confirmed on Wednesday (10 December) during a regular media briefing at the ACC headquarters by its Director General, Md. Akhtar Hossain.
The ACC stated that several of the accused held influential positions within the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA). Using their positions, they allegedly formed a syndicate and manipulated the recruitment process.
They violated BAIRA’s registration rules and charged workers many times higher than the government-approved cost of Tk 78,990. They also breached terms of the bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
Investigations revealed that the agencies bypassed the official procedures for selection, service fees, and financial transactions. Workers were forced to pay extra for passports, medical tests, and other processing stages. The ACC also reported that these agencies used political and institutional influence to secure illegal advantages in the recruitment system.
Additionally, the illegally collected funds were allegedly transferred, moved, and converted in ways that qualify as money laundering.
Cases have been filed under several sections of the Penal Code, including 120(B), 161–165(A), 420, 409, and 109, along with Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
Before this latest action, the ACC had filed 40 separate cases against 40 other overseas recruiting agencies, involving 108 accused. Those cases involve alleged misappropriation of Tk 3,438 crore 94 lakh 25 thousand, and investigations are ongoing.
