Exorbitant migration costs must be reduced: State Minister Nur

State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur today (30 July) said Bangladesh's poor workers are being forced to pay exorbitant costs to secure overseas jobs, and stressed that the government is committed to bringing migration expenses down.

"These migration costs must be reduced," he said while speaking at the inauguration of the Online Complaint Management Module of the Overseas Employment Platform (OEP) at InterContinental Dhaka.
The event was jointly organised by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU).

The state minister also warned those involved in migration fraud, fake recruitment advertisements, and syndicates, saying law enforcement agencies are closely monitoring their activities.

"Those who are involved in migration fraud should reform themselves. Intelligence agencies, police, and other law enforcement agencies are monitoring the situation. There will be no escape now. If you do not stop these activities, you will face serious consequences," he said.

Nur said he receives an average of 40 to 50 complaints every day, most of them from the families of Bangladeshi migrant workers or people seeking employment abroad.

"Many workers are promised one type of job before departure but are given a different job after reaching the destination country," he said. "Some become victims of abuse, some are held hostage and forced to pay ransom, while others fall victim to fraud."

He said authorities recently received allegations that between 200 and 700 people were promised jobs in Serbia, and each had paid Tk6-7 lakh. Separate complaints also alleged that each person from different groups of 10 to 15 people paid Tk8 lakh to Tk10 lakh for jobs in Europe.

Police have been instructed to investigate the allegations, he added.

The state minister said eye-catching advertisements promising jobs in Malaysia, Europe, and other destinations are being widely circulated on social media despite lacking approval from the ministry.

"A 30-second video can reach millions of people within moments. Therefore, these fake promotional campaigns cannot be taken lightly," he said.

He added that BMET has the authority to conduct mobile courts and should take swift legal action against those involved in fake advertisements and migration scams.

Transparent and low-cost recruitment

Nur said the government is working to ensure transparent and low-cost recruitment in Malaysia and other labour markets. However, even before official decisions are announced, dishonest groups begin collecting passports, arranging medical serials, and taking money from jobseekers under false pretences.

He also said the government is reviewing whether all of the country's nearly 3,000 licenced recruiting agencies are necessary.

"Many agencies fail to meet licencing requirements, while others operate syndicates and collect excessive fees from the workers," he said.

Referring to the cost of sending workers to Singapore, the state minister said there is no justification for charging workers Tk12 lakh to Tk15 lakh.

"These are not costs set by the Singapore government. Rather, they have increased because of syndicates. These syndicates are exploiting poor people and making hundreds of crores of taka," he said.

The state minister also alleged irregularities in the operations of Probashi Kallyan Bank. According to complaints, poor migrants are asked to pay bribes of Tk10,000 to Tk20,000 to secure loans of Tk3 lakh.
"Such practices will not be tolerated under any circumstances," he said.

Nur said migration is not only a source of remittance but is also closely linked to Bangladesh's image and reputation. "The government is committed to ensuring legal, safe and ethical migration. Operations against fraud and syndicates will be intensified."

Online complaint module

The Online Complaint Management Module was developed jointly by BMET, RMMRU, and Systech Digital Limited.

The platform integrates all District Employment and Manpower Offices with BMET's central complaint management system under a single digital framework, allowing every stage of a complaint to be tracked online.

Migrant workers and their family members will be able to submit complaints online, upload supporting documents, track progress and receive notifications throughout the process. BMET officials will digitally manage complaint registration, investigation, mediation or arbitration, decision-making, settlement, monitoring and report preparation.

The module was demonstrated during the event, showcasing the full complaint management process from submission to settlement.

Earlier, 100 officials from BMET and District Employment and Manpower Offices received training on operating the platform.

The initiative is being implemented under the second phase of the Strengthened and Informative Migration Systems Project, supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and Helvetas Bangladesh through RMMRU.

Among others, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Md Sakirul Islam Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Mokhtar Ahmed and RMMRU Executive Director Dr Tasneem Siddiqui also spoke at the event.