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No outbound worker can go abroad with the government-fixed migration cost as recruiters are violating the rules, rights campaigners said on Wednesday at a dialogue.
They said even women workers also have to pay a high amount of money to go abroad despite the government declared zero migration cost for them.
The rights activists were delivering speeches at a multi-stakeholder's dialogue on 'Redressing and Defining the Role of Middlemen for Ethical and Fair Recruitment of Migrant Workers', at the CIRDAP in the city.
The speakers also stressed the need for bringing the middlemen under a legal framework, so that they will be accountable for their action.
Although the government has fixed Tk 165,000 for a Saudi Arabia-bound male worker, but the workers are forced to spend an amount much higher than that to go to the oil-rich kingdom with a job, they said.
Female workers are being charged up to Tk 120,000 each by the recruiting agencies to go abroad, they alleged.
WARBE Development Foundation (WARBE DF) organised the programme, supported by the PROKAS Programme of British Council.
Chairman of WARBE DF Syed Saiful Haque moderated the dialogue where government officials, lawmaker, representative from BAIRA, middlemen and migrant workers were present.
Secretary General of Bangladeshi Ovhibashi Mohila Sramik Association (BOMSA) Sk Rumana said manpower recruiters charge Tk 80,000 to Tk 120,000 from each outbound woman workers.
The recruiters also manipulate the ages of women workers with the aim to make them eligible for going to overseas countries and get jobs there.
Chairman of Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum Nazmul Ahsan said middlemen even do not know about the officially-fixed rates for the outbound workers.
He said no male worker is going overseas with the government-fixed rate for migration.
Vice Chairman of Adarasha Sadar Upazila of Cumilla Advocate Hosneara Bakul said so far she resolved many complaints and recovered compensations for the victim migrant male workers.
But she failed to solve cases of victim female workers due to different factors.
She suggested for maintaining a list of women workers returned home at airport to help provide proper legal and other necessary supports.
Roksana Yasmin Suti, a member of the Parliamentarians Caucus said if necessary a new law can be enacted to help ensure a regular and secured migration.
If she gets specific proposals from rights activists, she will present those at the parliament, Suti also said.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Secretary General Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said all stakeholders from both the job destination and source countries should work together with honesty to ensure a fair and safe migration.