Subject: Rejoinder on the news published in your Daily Observer on 05 October, 2024 under caption “BAIRA urges action against recruitment syndicate”.

My Dear Editor,

Our attention is drawn to a news item published in your daily observer on 05th October 2024 under the above caption is completely false, baseless and will serve the interest of a vested quarter those are damaging the manpower export sector.

The fact is that, BAIRA has never called any meeting or press conference on 04th October 2024 and the said press conference was organized by an individual or group of recruiting agencies wherein Mr. Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, Joint Secretary of BAIRA Executive Committee spoke in his own capacity. He could not and did not spoke on behalf of BAIRA.  In this respect, Bir Muktijuddha Mr. Ali Haider Chowdhury Secretary General of BAIRA has issued a statement which is enclosed as reference.

It may be noted that, Mr. Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, the managing partner of the Human Resource Development Center (RL-452), has been involved in the illegal purchase and sale of visas at exorbitantly high prices from Malaysia as an associate agency. He has illegally paid employers for visa purchases through unlawful means. Additionally, as a shareholder in Tribeni International (RL-22) and Celebrity International (RL-503), he has conducted business with these two agencies of the 101 main recruiting agencies enlisted by the Malaysian Government. He has also made millions of takas through his own medical center; (Welcome Diagnostic & Medical Center) by conducting medical tests for thousands of Malaysia bound workers.

In particular, Mr. Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, the managing partner of the Human Resource Development Center (RL-452), despite enjoying all kinds of benefits in the manpower export business in Malaysia, has been spreading false propaganda against the 101 Malaysia government-approved recruiting agencies due to business competition and leadership conflicts in the upcoming elections of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA). Although he is associated with the enlisted 101 recruiting agencies being partner of the above mentioned two agencies, he is spreading false and harmful propaganda against it and particularly against the first batch of 25 agencies. This issue has an adverse impact on the entire manpower export sector.

Mentionable that, there are records wherein Mr. Mohammed Fakhrul Islam has purchased visa from Malaysian employers as middleman with high cost for which he realized much higher price from the workers and processed them through enlisted BRA's. Mr. Mohammed Fakhrul Islam is one of the 735 recruiting agencies those we were unlawfully engaged in visa trading and blamed the enlisted recruiting agencies. In the news he agreed that associate agencies could charge Tk. 3.5 lakh for handling of the workers through managing the supply chain whereas Government approved migration cost is Tk. 78,990/-.

He is well aware that, the Malaysian government through a circular on 1st March 2024 clearly stated that they would allow the expatriates worker in Malaysia from all 15 source countries including Bangladesh latest by 31 may 2024 and since 01st June 2024 no source countries were allowed to send their workers to Malaysia. Mr. Mohammed Fakhrul Islam is always looking for his own fortune in business and leadership in BAIRA and creating chaos and confusion among the stakeholders in the manpower export sector. Such propaganda and false information will definitely displease the employers in Malaysia and ultimately the sector will suffer from his ill motivated actions.

I would therefore request you to publish this rejoinder in the immediate next issue of you renowned daily “The Daily Observer”.

Thanking you,

With Regards