ACC to sue 124 owners and officials of 60 recruiting agencies over Tk 4,500 crore Malaysia scam

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to file 60 separate cases against 124 individuals, including owners and senior officials of recruiting agencies, over the alleged embezzlement and laundering of more than Tk 4,500 crore collected from migrant workers seeking employment in Malaysia.

The decision was taken at the ACC headquarters on Thursday following what officials described as an extensive investigation into irregularities in the Malaysia recruitment process. ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain confirmed that the cases are backed by substantial documentary evidence pointing to organised fraud, abuse of authority and large-scale financial misconduct.

According to the commission, the accused extracted Tk 4,545 crore from at least 267,276 workers by deliberately violating government-approved migration rules. Investigators allege that while holding influential positions within the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), the accused formed a coordinated syndicate to control the recruitment pipeline and impose unlawful charges on workers.

Although the government had capped the official migration cost at Tk 78,990 per worker, the syndicate allegedly inflated fees several times over. ACC officials said workers were coerced into paying excessive amounts using political influence and internal power networks within the recruitment ecosystem.

The investigation also revealed evidence of additional illegal collections by bypassing worker-selection protocols, financial compliance standards and contractual safeguards. Parts of the illegally obtained funds were allegedly laundered through non-transparent channels both domestically and overseas.

The accused will face charges under multiple sections of the Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, bribery, corruption, cheating and criminal breach of trust. An ACC official said the commission intends to pursue the cases rigorously to ensure accountability and deter future exploitation in overseas labour recruitment.