Rabiul Islam
 Even though over three years have already elapsed, the government is yet to formulate a law to protect the migrant workers against various types of fraudulence.

Jobseekers as well as returnees across the country often fall prey to a section of unscrupulous recruiting agencies and middlemen in absence of such law.

The expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister at different meetings said a new law will be enacted to protect the migrant workers and stop cheating.

Accordingly, the ministry concerned formed a committee, headed by a joint secretary, to prepare a draft of the law, sources at the expatriates’ welfare ministry said.

“We will review the draft as it was prepared one year ago,” expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan told daily sun on Tuesday.

He said a meeting will be held today (Wednesday) to review the draft. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain will chair the meeting.

About the delay in finalising the draft, Zafar said, “We have also sought opinions from all ministries to make the proposed law more applicable.” The draft will be finalised incorporating the opinions from various ministries, he added.

An official concerned said if the law is enacted, cheated migrant workers can go to court for justice.

According to Immigration Ordinance 1982, cheated migrant workers can go to six divisional labour courts for justice.

Another official said, “We have proposed conducting mobile courts to bring the unscrupulous recruiting agencies to book.”

In the proposed law, there is a provision that the recruiting agencies can appoint subagents.

Sources at Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) said a large number of cheated migrant workers submit written complaints against unscrupulous recruiting agencies.