A bill titled ‘Overseas Employment and Migrant Workers Bill, 2013’ was passed in parliament by voice vote on Wednesday, paving the path for bringing discipline in the country’s manpower export business.
Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain moved the bill in Parliament.
The new law will replace the existing ‘Immigration Ordinance 1982′ for recruiting agencies to check forgery, deception and illegal practice to protect the interests of the overseas jobseekers and migrants as well as their welfare.
It provides maximum 10-year imprisonment and at least Tk 500,000 in fine for violation of the law in sending workers abroad.
The new law also provides seven years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Tk 300,000 for any forgery of demand letter, visa and work permit as well as for publishing any false advertisement.
The existing law enacted in 1982 had the provision of maximum one year imprisonment and highest Tk 5,000 fine for all types of violation of rules.
The proposed law will make the activities of the overseas recruiting agencies transparent, ensure their accountability and protect the rights and interests of the migrant workers.
The new law provides for filing case with the court by an aggrieved person against the recruiting agency. It also has specific guidelines about the procedure of filing cases, acceptability of the cases and compensation.
The Cabinet on August 12 approved the draft ‘Overseas Employment and Migrant Workers Bill 2013’.
The new law will allow the migrant workers to file cases directly against the recruiting agencies involved in fraudulence and other irregularities.
The court will have to dispose of the cases filed by migrant workers or overseas job seekers in four months after the charge framing and in case of failure to do so it will have to record a reasonable ground to get two more months for disposal.
Source: UNB Connect
