Cabinet approves stiff punishment

The Cabinet has approved a new law that will provide for up to seven years in jail for cheating and forgery while sending workers abroad.

As manpower exports leading to remittances have emerged as a mainstay of Bangladesh’s economy, the government is seeking to protect the interests of the workers by this new law that seeks to deter fraudsters in the manpower export sector.

The Cabinet meeting that approved the ‘Oversees employment and Migrant Workers Act 2013’ on principle was chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The new law provides for upto seven years in prison and a fine of upto Tk 100,000 for cheating and forgery while sending workers abroad.

“This law had become necessary because workers sent abroad were defrauded in ever greater numbers by some of the manpower export agencies,” Additional Cabinet Secretary Murtaza Ahmed.

Manpower exports from Bangladesh is currently regulated by a 1982 law that provides for a maximum of five years in prison  and a fine of only Tk 5,000 for cheating and forgery while sending workers abroad.

Many human rights groups have been pressing for a change to pave the way for a tougher law to deter fraudsters and protect worker’s interest.