A section of manpower recruiters have protested against new rules on classification of recruiting agencies saying that categorisation will patronise new syndication.
They made the protest at a human chain programme in front of Probashi Kalyan Bhaban in the city on Thursday. They also demanded that the government ensure equal rights for all for sending workers abroad.
The members of 'Recruiting Agencies Okya Parisad', a newly formed association of licensed recruiting agencies, also brought out a procession after the human chain.
However, 'Overseas Employment and Migrants (Recruiting Agency Classification) Rules 2020' categorised the recruiting agencies as A, B, C and D according to their performance.
The rules have been formulated recently for Overseas Employment and Migrants Act-2013.
Classification will be made based on the number that will be given, considering the performance of manpower recruiters in sending workers abroad.
It is said to form a 'recruiting agent classification evaluation committee' with the representatives from different ministries including expatriates' welfare and overseas employment, foreign and home.
The committee will evaluate the recruiting agencies and put forward suggestion to the government for classification.
The agencies which will get 85 points out of 100 will be categorised as 'A' while those will score 70-84 points as 'B'.
The recruiters who will obtain 60-69 points will be enlisted as 'C' and 59 points or below for 'D' category as per the rules.
Speaking at the human chain, the recruiting agents claimed that the previous syndicate of the recruiting agencies will benefit from the classification of recruiting agencies.
Recruiting Agencies Okya Parisad president Md Tipu Sultan urged the government to ensure a level playing field for all licensed recruiting agencies. And then it should categorize the agencies, he added.
"We do not want to see classification of the recruiting agencies that will be discriminatory to all licensed agencies," he said.
On Wednesday, Okya Parisad leaders also submitted a memorandum of understanding to the EWOE ministry to press home their 12-point demand including cancellation of classification of the recruiting agencies.
