Bangladesh: 2 agencies accused of charging higher prices for Saudi visa

Dhaka, July 6, 2013 (New Age): Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies has accused two of its member agencies of charging an exorbitant amount of Tk 600,000 to Tk 700,000 for a visa for Saudi Arab. The recruiting agencies are Rabbi International, RL. No 258 and Assurance Services Company, RL No 1122, said BAIRA officials. BAIRA president Abul Bashar in a letter to expatriates welfare and overseas employment minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain urged immediate legal action against the agencies. Officials told New Age on Saturday that it was the first incident in which BAIRA accused its members of charging higher migration cost. According to the BAIRA letter, a total of 1322 Saudi visas were collected from Seder Group Trading & Contracting Co based at Riyadh in the KSA. Rabbi International bought 400 visas while Assurance Services Company bought 600 visas at the higher cost. A few other agencies were also trying to purchase the remaining 322 visas, the letter mentioned. BAIRA alleged that these agencies embarrassed the government as well as BAIRA by increasing the cost through visa trading.