The home ministry has cancelled the passports of five suspected Bangladeshi human traffickers now in Brunei.

Officials said that Brunei had been requested to repatriate them for legal action.

The offenders were involved in human trafficking and illegal visa trading in Brunei, they said.

The holders of the cancelled passports were identified as Delwar Md A Latif (BB0328150), Jasim Sarker (BR0773460), Mohammad Suhel Ahmed (BP0196522), Rabiul Habibur Rahman (BC0411746) and Jakir Hussain (BM0421821).

Bangladesh High Commission in Bandar Seri Begawan on Wednesday requested the Brunei government to cancel their visas and repatriate them to Bangladesh at the earliest.

In a letter to the Brunei foreign and home ministries, Bangladesh High Commission said that the five Bangladeshi nationals were involved in trafficking Bangladeshi workers to Brunei.

Bangladesh labour attaché Jelal Hossain told New Age that the passports of the five Bangladeshis nationals had been cancelled for their involvement in human trafficking, visa trading and exploiting Bangladeshis in Brunei.

The home ministry received allegations that Jasim Sarker and his company Nasir Snd Bhd brought 300 Bangladeshi workers to Brunei charging Tk three to four lakh from each. On arrival in Brunei the workers were not given jobs.

The workers were physically tortured when they lodged the complaints to the Labour wing of Bangladesh High Commission. The victims were forced to return to Bangladesh. And Jasim never responded to the labour wing’s calls.

Delwar Md A Latif and his company Haslee Contractor denied wages equivalent to Tk 40.76 lakh to 29 Bangladeshi workers in Brunei in last two years. The 29 workers lodged complained with the labour wing but they were sent back home not paying their wages.

The home ministry received almost similar allegations against Suhel Ahmed, Rabiul Habibur Rahman and Jakir hossain.

On August 1, 2019, Bangladesh High Commissioner Air Vice Marital (retd) Mahmud Hossain informed the matter to home ministry’s protection service division secretary Md Shahiduzzaman.

About 30,000 Bangladeshis currently work in Brunei, mostly in the construction sector.