Since August 4, the High Commission of Brunei Darussalam in Dhaka temporarily stopped accepting visa applications of workers from Bangladesh.

The high commission had notified that it temporarily stopped accepting the visa applications of Bangladeshi workers.

Brunei took the decision after it found the involvement of some companies in Brunei in manufacturing fake job visas for the worker of Bangladesh, officials in the two capitals told New Age.

These companies in collaboration with unscrupulous brokers in Bangladesh hired thousands of workers of Bangladesh, they said.

After landing in Brunei these workers found that no jobs awaited them, they said.

Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry secretary Rownaq Jahan told New Age Wednesday that the government would soon bring the brokers under legal framework.

‘We are working sincerely to make migration safe and orderly for workers,’ she said.

The Brunei government blacklisted at least 30 companies including Square sdn bhd, AR Active sdn bhd, Juthi sdn bhd, Expert sdn bhd, Partex sdn bhd, Kem sdn bhd, Kem 2 sdn bhd, Samra construction sdn bhd,Yang Foh Hin sdn bhd, Bibiafiq sdn bhd, Baktima sdn bhd, Hi Ku Jaya sdn bhd, RM sdn bhd, Al SRB sdn bhd, Daud sdn bhd, Emon sdn bhd, A.Rahim sdn bhd, AR sheikh sdn bhd, Shaha sdn bhd, Tasnim sdn bhd, Motiar Rahman sdn bhd, Sohrab sdn bhd, Atrar sdn bhd, Sarikat Hj Yousuf sdn bhd, Asianic sdn bhd, Nasir sdn bhd, Munan sdn bhd, Bru Advance sdn bhd and Sarykat Bapu jaya.

Over 73,000 Bangladeshi workers took jobs in Brunei since 1992, according to data of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.

About 30,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently working in Brunei, mostly in the construction sector.