DHAKA: A Malaysian IT firm ‘Real Times’ is going to monopolize the manpower export business to Malaysia from Bangladesh.

The market of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers as announced by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamid will be controlled by this ‘Real Times’ with whom the Bangladesh manpower export agencies’ canopy organization Baira is keeping close contact.

A source at Putrajaya informed banglanews that ‘Real Times’ played an important role in opening the labor market for Bangladeshis, who acted as lobbyist at the different levels of the government.

‘Real Times’ chairman is country’s home department (KDN Kementerian Daman Negeri).

KDN former chairman Ajhar bin Abdul Manaf is the brother of present Deputy Prime Minister and also home minister Zahid Hamid’s brother Abdul Hakim bin Hamid and his son is also the executive chairman of this organization.

Bangladeshi origin Mohammad Abu Hanif bin Abul Kashem is the managing director (MD) who is the middle man through whom Baira made contacts with Zahid Hamid that led to the opening of Malaysian labor market.

Baira president admitted the fact and told banglanews, ‘This Hanif has arranged our contact with Real Times’.

Sources said that the newly posted high commissioner to Kuala Lumpur Shahidul Islam also set up contact with Zahid Hamid through Hanif and after that ‘Real Times’ networking SDNBHD came into surface just few days before the decision.

‘Real Times’ also played the key role of a meeting held in last June with former Bangladesh expatriate welfare minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain with PM Nazib Razzaq and the then home minister Zahid Hamid.

Putrajaya sources said that on last July 8 with the recommendation of Zahid Hamid, Baira and ‘Real Times’ made the mutual arrangement of exporting Bangladeshi laborers to Malaysia.

Next on last July 24, chief executive of ‘Real Times’ informed Bangladesh high commissioner Mohammad Shahidul Islam about his Bangladesh visit and gave a letter mentioning that Baira has appointed ‘Real Times’ about manpower export.

However, it was mentioned that the whole export will be supervised through an online network and will also look into the whole process of employment.

But Baira has denied the matter saying that we have no power to appoint any even ‘Real Times’. Baira senior vice-president Ali Haider Chowdhury told banglanews, ‘We appreciate the role of ‘Real Times’ but we did not appoint the company. If the process of sending laborers to Malaysia becomes possible then we will have the right to enter the network and the whole thing will be transparent’.

‘Real Times’ network said that sending of laborers through online process is just like a one stop service which is termed as Workers Management and Monitoring System.

This system will ensure and preserve all data regarding the concerned laborer as if management of a laborer from A-Z.

Abu Hanif told banglanews from Malaysia, ‘a five-member delegation of ‘Real Times’ is going to Dhaka on Friday at the invitation of Baira to get the work. The delegation will include Nur Farzana, company operation manager Rosli bin Abi Ghani beside Abdul Hakim Abbas Ali’.

On the next day, Malaysian government delegation is coming to ink a deal of manpower export with Bangladesh government.

If everything goes on the right track, the total export of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers will be controlled by ‘Real Times’, sources said.

According to Putrajaya sources, another non-government company of Malaysia Bestinet IT took the job of importing laborers from Indonesia and Nepal. But just after two weeks both the countries strongly objected the handling of the matter by a non-government company on charge of the leakage of state security which led to the cancellation of that Bestinet episode.

The sources further said that Malaysian deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi-led intervention has paved the way of monopolizing the Bangladeshi labor market by ‘Real Times’ after removing Bestinet.

Meanwhile, many other companies like Paksatuan agency, Pembutantu-Rumha Asang (PAPA) also wanted to get the work. But their hopes were nipped in the bud.

However, Baira president Abul Bashar said, in what way or process workers being sent, it will be decided by governments of two countries. In that case ‘Real Times’ can present their credential which will be decided by the concerned governments.

BDST: 1826 HRS, AUG 06, 2015
Shahjahan/RR