Source: thedailystar.net

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam today said that how can the government take action to solve issues regarding the migration cost to Saudi Arabia as there are no complaints over it.

“Nobody made a written complaint over it. How can we take actions?” the minister reacted when journalists asked him why it costs Tk 5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh in labour migration to Saudi Arabia whereas the government-fixed it to Tk 1.65 lakh.

During the question-answer session, one reporter stated that the ministry was not taking actions against the agents and brokers who charged high cost.

One reporter said there was presence of syndicates in the labour recruitment sector, while migrants overseas get low pays and struggle to recover the money they spend to migrate.

In response, minister Nurul Islam said, “No, there is no syndicate. We do not know.”

“Please give us written complaints,” he said and shortly ended the press conference.

The press conference was held at the ministry auditorium to present the government successes and activities last year.

He abruptly ended his press conference following heated questions from the journalists.

The minister read out a written statement where he boasted of sending 7.57 lakh Bangladeshi workers abroad last year against 5.55 lakh in 2015.