Bangladesh asks Malaysia to arrest two businessmen in migrant trafficking case

The investigation includes alleged money laundering and human trafficking

Bloomberg

November 5, 2024, 4:15 PM

Last modified: November 5, 2024, 5:55 PM

Representative image. Photo: collected

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Representative image. Photo: collected

Police in Bangladesh have asked the Malaysian government to arrest and extradite two businessmen as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering, extortion and trafficking in migrant workers.

The men – Aminul Islam and Ruhul Amin – are alleged to have played a key role in a scheme that “fraudulently extorted money from the victims” and exposed them to “physical and mental torture,” according to an October 24 letter that the Bangladesh Department sent from Interpol to its counterpart in Malaysia.

Bloomberg News has reviewed a copy of the letter, which does not say whether the men have been charged. Police Inspector Ashiqur Rahman, part of the Bangladesh Interpol Division, confirmed the contents in a telephone interview on Sunday. A senior Bangladeshi government official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, also confirmed the letter.

Police in the South Asian country have asked the Malaysian government to temporarily halt the use of software from Bestinet Sdn, a closely controlled company that Aminul founded. Malaysian officials have used this software since at least 2018 to process and monitor hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from Bangladesh and other countries.

Aminul, better known as Amin, was born in Bangladesh and acquired Malaysian citizenship over a decade ago. His lawyer said they have not received any information about the letter and categorically denied the allegations made therein.

Bloomberg News reached out to Ruhul, a Bangladeshi, for comment by phone and by contacting Catharsis International, a Dhaka-based recruitment agency he owns. A Catharsis representative said by email that Ruhul has refuted all allegations and “has always acted legally, legitimately and ethically.”

A Bestinet representative said the company is not aware of the letter from Bangladesh police requesting Malaysian authorities to stop using Bestinet software and declined to comment.

Malaysian police, as well as the country’s home affairs and foreign ministries, did not respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of Human Resources declined to comment.

Ashiqur said the men were last seen in Kuala Lumpur. He said Malaysian authorities responded to the letter by asking Bangladesh police to submit a formal extradition request. Those documents are currently being prepared, he said.

Debt slavery

The arrest requests are part of a broader investigation into middlemen and lawmakers involved in sending workers from Bangladesh to Malaysia.

Labor migration is one of Bangladesh’s most important sectors, but it also comes with costs that saddle workers with debt and make them vulnerable to abuse when they go abroad.

Bangladesh’s interim government, which was installed in August after student protesters ousted the country’s longtime leader, has made it a priority to abolish illegal fees and hold recruitment agents, bureaucrats and destination countries accountable for the well-being of workers, said Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Bangladesh. Ministry of Welfare and Overseas Employment for expats.

Over the past twenty years, more than 1 million Bangladeshis have come to work in Malaysia. Human rights activists have documented numerous cases of Bangladeshi and other migrant workers facing abuse, including debt bondage.

A Malaysian government-appointed panel found in 2019 that the recruitment process was rife with fraud and that workers were charged excessive fees that led to forced labor. In a 109-page report, the panel recommended that the government stop using third-party service providers, including Bestinet.

Having “multiple service providers also results in the accumulation of unnecessary costs due to levies and fees imposed on both foreign workers, employers and sometimes the government,” the report said.

Bestinet has said it complies with all laws in both Bangladesh and Malaysia.