396 Bangladeshis arrested in Malaysia in just 2 hours, will be deported soon

❐ BD Digest Desk

The number of Bangladeshi nationals being arrested in Malaysia is not decreasing. Although there were hopes that this issue would be resolved after Dr. Yunus’ recent visit to Malaysia, immigration experts believe that it has actually increased.

The country’s immigration department conducted a major operation in the capital Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. The operation, which took place between midnight and midnight, resulted in the arrest of 770 undocumented immigrants, including 396 Bangladeshis.

This information has been given in various media reports in the country.

The news report said that a raid was conducted in the Bukit Bintang area of ​​the capital based on intelligence that hundreds of illegal immigrants from various countries in South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, were working there.

Authorities said that when they were conducting the raid, workers hid under tables upon sensing their presence. Some took refuge inside the shop or tried unsuccessfully to escape by climbing onto the roof. 770 people were arrested in just a two-hour raid.

Immigration Enforcement Director Basri Osman told the media that 396 of those arrested were Bangladeshi nationals, including two women. The rest were 235 Myanmar nationals, 72 Nepalese, 58 Indian and 17 Indonesian nationals. In addition, nine more people from different countries were arrested.

Basri Osman said that most of the detainees were staying there after their visas expired. They did not have valid identity cards with them. Also, none of them could show work permits. Which is against the prevailing laws of the country. They have been arrested for these crimes.

He said that if no one is found to be involved in any other crime in Malaysia, the detainees will be sent back to their respective countries soon.

These workers came to Malaysia to escape poverty and unemployment in their respective countries. Many were victims of fraud. But after arriving, none of them wanted to go back, he said.

Basri Osman also said that the Bukit Bintang area has been a hotspot for illegal immigrants for a long time.

The city is bustling even at night. Moreover, being in the heart of the city, it had become an attractive place for illegal workers. The presence of tourists also made it difficult to identify them. The operation was carried out after three weeks of monitoring, said Immigration Enforcement Director Basri Osman.

Multiple sources have said that at least more than 3,000 Bangladeshis have been detained in the last 6 months, including Tuesday’s raid.

However, no statement has been received from the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter so far.