Steps have been taken against three recruiting agencies on charges of selling 30 Bangladeshi youths to Russian army, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Huq Chowdhury has said.
He said the licenses of three agencies concerned have been withdrawn after receiving allegations against them.
The agencies are R.S. International (RL-1428), Jabal-e-Noor (RL-2505) and TS Overseas Limited (RL-1755). Their licences have been withdrawn and security deposits have been forefeited by the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The minister was addressing a press conference organised at Probashi Kalyan Bhaban at Eskaton Garden in the capital on Tuesday (June 2).
The minister further said that effective measures have been taken through diplomatic channels to bring those 30 Bangladeshi nationals back to the country quickly and safely who were sent to Russia giving false promises.
He also said necessary directives have already been given to the Bangladesh ambassador in Moscow to take all kinds of step to protect the sufferers.
The Overseas Employment Minister asserted that no agencies would be spared in any way if they were found involved in fraudulent practices and human trafficking. "The government will follow zero tolerance in this regard, and we have started our measures with today's incident."
He said eight Bangladesh nationals have been brought back from Iraq. At the same time, compensation has been realised from an agency which sent people to Iraq.
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