Scams, smuggling, battlefields: How flawed vetting sent our workers into harm's way

Highlights:

• BMET cleared 15,921 workers for Cambodia, but BRAC says over 1,000 ended up trapped in cyber scam compounds.
• Many Bangladeshis travelled to Brazil with BMET clearance before attempting to enter the US illegally. Since early 2025, the US has deported 322 Bangladeshis.
• Around 30 workers recruited for construction jobs in Russia were reportedly forced into military service. Four have died.
• The government will require full embassy verification for workers going to Cambodia, Laos and Brazil before BMET clearance.

Severe structural weaknesses in Bangladesh's official emigration clearance system are facing intense scrutiny following revelations that thousands of citizens have been trafficked, forced into cyber-fraud syndicates, or deployed to active war zones despite holding valid government documentation.

Over the past 18 months, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) granted official emigration clearance to 15,921 Bangladeshis to travel to Cambodia. However, data from the BRAC Migration Programme reveals that more than 1,000 of these individuals remain trapped inside cyber scam compounds, where they are subjected to torture and electric shocks to force them into conducting online fraud.

Infographics:TBS

While a series of recent rescue operations saw 583 victims return home in June and another 109 on 1 July, the crisis has highlighted how official migration channels are being systematically exploited by trafficking networks.

The Cambodian con: From computer operators to cyber slaves

Recruiters routinely charge job seekers up to Tk5.3 lakh for promised IT and computer operator roles, only to sell them to criminal syndicates upon arrival in Cambodia.

Several returnees confirmed they departed Dhaka with full BMET clearance, completely unaware of the trap awaiting them.

This Cambodia case has become one of the clearest examples of how official migration channels are being exploited by trafficking networks.

One victim from Lakshmipur said a recruiting agency and local brokers collected Tk5.3 lakh from him and arranged BMET clearance before sending him to Cambodia. Upon arrival, he did not receive a work permit and was later sold to a cyber scam compound. Another returnee said workers were forced to scam foreign nationals online and were beaten or subjected to electric shocks if they failed to meet daily targets.

Sri Sonaton from Chapainawabganj returned home in June after spending 10 months in Cambodia, where he endured severe hardship despite travelling on a valid work visa. He spent Tk4.8 lakh to secure the job through a local middleman and received a BMET clearance card before departing. He was recruited through Fahim Recruiting Agency, which has sent around 200 workers to Cambodia over the past year.

Brazil becoming trafficking route

Questions have also been raised over BMET's approval of workers travelling to Brazil despite growing evidence that many use the South American country as a transit point to enter the US illegally.

Since early 2025, the US has deported 322 Bangladeshis as part of its crackdown on undocumented migrants. Most of those deported had first travelled legally to Brazil with BMET clearance before attempting to enter the US through multiple countries and the Mexico border.

BMET data show that 1,410 Bangladeshis have travelled to Brazil with official clearance since early 2025, including 990 from Noakhali alone, fuelling concerns over organised migration networks. Many deportees said they spent between Tk45-Tk70 lakh to reach the US through brokers.

Saiful Islam, one of the returnees, said he travelled to Brazil in 2024 with BMET clearance before being smuggled through several countries into Mexico, where he was arrested while trying to enter the US.

Another returnee, Diyad Chowdhury, said he spent Tk22 lakh to obtain BMET clearance and travel to Brazil before attempting the journey north. He was detained in the US for nearly a year before being deported.

Forced to the frontlines in Russia

Perhaps the most alarming breakdown in the vetting process involves Bangladeshis who travelled to Russia on valid construction work visas, only to be sent to the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Families report that approximately 30 Bangladeshis recruited for construction jobs were instead transferred to a drone manufacturing company and subsequently forced into military service. At least 15 remain on active missions, while several others have been injured.

Speaking to parliament on 9 July, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury confirmed that four of the 30 workers have died. He added that the government has suspended the licences of three recruiting agencies linked to the scheme and launched diplomatic efforts to repatriate the surviving citizens.

"We came here for construction jobs, not war," said an injured worker currently treating his wounds in a hospital within Russian-controlled territory, via an audio message. "We were forced to sign documents we couldn't understand."

Genuine jobs or gateway to the US

Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC's Migration Programme and Youth Platform, told TBS that cyber scam operations have evolved into a sophisticated form of human trafficking. 

"People are lured abroad with promises of high-paying jobs and later forced into cybercrime. Those who fail to meet targets face severe physical and psychological abuse," he said.

Shariful also said authorities must determine whether workers receiving BMET clearance for Brazil are genuinely going there for employment or simply using it as a gateway to irregular migration. "If hundreds of workers are repeatedly using Brazil as a transit route to the US, the approval process itself deserves scrutiny. There must be accountability for agencies and officials involved," he said.

Flaws in vetting process

The BMET is facing growing scrutiny over its role in approving overseas migration after thousands of Bangladeshis who received official emigration clearance allegedly became victims of human trafficking, fraudulent recruitment, and forced labour in Cambodia, Brazil, and Russia.

Migration experts and rights activists say these repeated cases point to serious weaknesses in BMET's verification process. They raise questions over whether recruiting agencies, employers, and job offers are being properly vetted before clearance cards are issued.

Govt tightens procedures

Under standard protocols, foreign employers must have their worker demand letters attested by the relevant Bangladeshi embassy before recruiting. The agency then obtains BMET clearance on behalf of the worker.

However, a critical regulatory loophole has bypassed this safety net: the small-batch exemption.

Originally designed to reduce the bureaucratic burden on small, overseas businesses run by non-resident Bangladeshis (such as restaurants), the policy allows up to five workers to migrate without embassy attestation. State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Md Nurul Hoque, acknowledged that trafficking syndicates have exploited this rule by splitting large recruitment orders into smaller batches to evade embassy scrutiny. Estimates suggest nearly 70% to 75% of current workers migrate under this exemption.

In response to the growing crisis, Minister Hoque told TBS that a policy decision has been reached to tighten procedures for high-risk destinations including Cambodia, Laos, and Brazil.

"For these destinations, we have decided that workers will no longer be allowed to migrate under the embassy attestation exemption. Proper work visas and full verification will be mandatory before BMET clearance is issued," Hoque said, adding that blanket bans would not be imposed to protect legitimate employment opportunities.

Silence from BMET

When TBS approached BMET Director General Jamil Ahmed for comments, his office referred the reporter to Zahora Monsor, the official responsible for the agency's media cell. Zahora said she was not aware of the matter and would need to consult the relevant department before responding. She requested that the queries be submitted in writing. No response has been received since the written submission.

An official from the BMET's immigration wing spoke to TBS on the condition of anonymity, deflecting institutional responsibility: "If someone goes to a country and then absconds to another place, what can we do about it?"

What Fahim Agency says

Syed Murtaza Ali, proprietor of Fahim Recruiting Agency, told TBS that many of the problems arise after workers reach the destination country.

"Some workers leave their assigned employers after hearing about higher-paying jobs elsewhere. When they later try to return, their original employers often refuse to take them back, even though their work permits remain valid," he said.

Murtaza also said some workers become unreachable after arriving in Cambodia, making it difficult for either the employer or the recruiting agency to trace them.

Regarding allegations that Bangladeshi workers are being trafficked into online scam compounds, Murtaza said he has not received any such complaints from workers recruited through his agency. 

"Only three workers have lodged complaints against us in BMET, and none involved being forced to work in scam centres," he said, acknowledging reports of workers being coerced into online fraud operations generally but noting such cases had not been reported by workers sent through his agency.