Opposition lawmakers on Monday posed a question to the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry regarding its action against fraudulent recruiters and the protection of Bangladeshi women working abroad.

During the second sitting of the second session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, Noakhali-6 lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud, backed by the National Citizen Party, highlighted that many overseas workers became victims of fraud, remained undocumented, and endured miserable conditions due to irregularities in the recruitment process.

He asked whether the ministry would take action against recruiting agencies that used fraudulent demand letters to send workers abroad.

Women’s reserved-seat lawmaker Mardia Momtaz, backed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, sought details on measures taken to ensure the safety of female migrant workers, particularly in countries where they are vulnerable to sexual abuse.

Replying to the questions, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur said that domestic authorities verify demand letters endorsed by the relevant Bangladeshi missions abroad before approving any recruitment process.

However, he acknowledged weaknesses in the system, noting that some foreign missions faced logistical and financial constraints when scrutinising demand letters.

‘Bangladesh operates 30 labour welfare wings across 27 embassies, but there are gaps in our overseas missions,’ he said.

Nur stated that the ministry was working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to utilise ‘migration diplomacy’ to strengthen overseas recruitment and secure labour markets.

Responding to concerns over female overseas workers, the state minister said that the government now maintained cautious monitoring of the recruitment process in view of allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation in certain destination countries.

He added that Bangladesh had established two safe homes for migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and was taking steps to set up similar facilities in other countries to provide support and protection for vulnerable workers.