Bangladesh asks Malaysia to arrest two businessmen in human trafficking case

Bangladeshi police have asked Malaysian authorities to arrest and extradite two businessmen as part of an investigation into allegations of money laundering, extortion and trafficking in migrant workers, Bloomberg News reported today.

According to a letter sent by Bangladesh Interpol to its counterpart in Malaysia on October 24, Aminul Islam and Ruhul Amin are alleged to have played a key role in a scheme that “fraudulently extorted money from the victims (migrant workers)” and exposed them to “ physical and mental torture.” The letter, seen by Bloomberg, does not confirm whether the suspects have been charged.

Inspector Ashiqur Rahman of the Bangladesh Interpol Division confirmed the matter by telephone on Sunday. A senior government official from Bangladesh also confirmed the letter.

Bangladesh police have asked the Malaysian government to temporarily halt the use of software from Bestinet Sdn, a company founded by Aminul. Malaysian officials have been using this software to process and monitor migrant workers since 2018.

Born in Bangladesh, Aminul acquired Malaysian citizenship more than a decade ago. His lawyer said they have not received any information about the letter and categorically denied the allegations made therein.

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

A similar response was received from Catharsis International, a Dhaka-based recruitment agency owned by Ruhul. A representative for Catharsis told Bloomberg by email that Ruhul has refuted the allegations and “has always acted legally, legitimately and ethically.”

Malaysian police, the country’s ministries of home affairs, foreign affairs and resources did not respond to requests for comment.

According to Inspector Ashiqur, the men were last seen in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian authorities responded to the letter by asking Bangladesh police to submit a formal extradition request. Those documents are currently being prepared, the inspector added.