State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury has ordered the recruiting agency to refund the money within the next 15 days (July 18) to the workers who could not go to Malaysia by May 31.

The state minister said this while talking to reporters at the conference room of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment on Thursday (July 4). At this time, the secretary of the ministry. Ruhul Amin and others were present.

The state minister said, yesterday (Wednesday) we sat with BIRA (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies). They have agreed with us that the workers who could not go will be refunded. They (Baira) have asked for 15 days. We have said that the money should be returned by July 18. Legal action will be taken against those who cannot pay within this period.

He said the 100 recruiting agencies that sent the workers to Malaysia would be responsible for returning the money to the workers. BAIRA will oversee the refund of affected workers from all recruiting agencies involved in the recruitment process.

The State Minister for Foreign Employment said that if any recruiting agency does not cooperate to return the money of the affected worker, BAIRA will inform the ministry and the ministry will take necessary legal action in this regard.

The state minister said that 4 lakh 93 thousand 729 people have been given clearance from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) till May 31. 4 lakh 76 thousand 952 of them went to Malaysia. Accordingly, 17 thousand 777 people could not go.

Shafiqur Rahman said, I will see in my 15 days, taking into consideration how many workers are paid, we will take legal action. Our aim is for the affected workers to get all their money back. Giving money back to people is our main job. I hope that BAIRA and recruiting agencies will cooperate with the Ministry in this regard.

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said that there will be a working group meeting with Malaysia at the end of this month. We will discuss our issues with them. Hopefully, Malaysia's labor market will open soon. If the market opens again, priority will be given to those who could not go.