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A powerful syndicate of a few medical center owners has allegedly taken control of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-approved medical centers in Bangladesh, manipulating the medical checkup process for migrant workers. Around 30 medical centers, owned by a handful of individuals, dominate 95% of medical checkups among over 200 GCC-approved centers. These centers face accusations of charging up to 30,000 BDT per worker instead of the GCC-stipulated 8,500 BDT, manipulating servers to exclude other centers, issuing fake fitness certificates, and siphoning billions of taka abroad illegally. At a recent event in a Dhaka hotel, owners of GCC-approved centers expressed outrage, demanding exemplary punishment and license cancellations for the syndicate leaders, alongside equitable distribution of checkup requisitions.
Migrant workers heading to GCC countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, must submit health certificates to embassies and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training. Exploiting this requirement, a few centers manipulate the Wafid or choice slip system to monopolize checkups. Allegations include issuing fake certificates, with some centers processing 400–500 reports daily, often certifying unfit workers as fit in exchange for hefty fees. The syndicate also uses names of centers in districts like Rajshahi, Cox’s Bazar, and Tangail to issue slips but conducts checkups in Dhaka, uploading reports under those district centers’ names. In some cases, fitness certificates are issued without any tests.
Specific centers, including Cox’s Bazar’s Al-Man, Bay Medical, Max Medical; Barishal’s Alif Checkup, Yakin Medical; Rajshahi’s Al-Ali, Hope Medical; and Dhaka’s SKN, Smart, Dhamhasi, Icon Medical, among others, face allegations of issuing fake reports. Named individuals linked to the syndicate include Mohammad Bashir, Jasim Uddin Syed, Md. Khurshid Alam, Jahangir Biswas, Noman Chowdhury, Enam Chowdhury, Md. Rubel, and Kapil Majumdar. Some own 12 to 30 centers, violating GCC rules that limit ownership to one center per person.
The syndicate’s actions have led to severe consequences. Many workers certified as fit in Bangladesh are found unfit in GCC countries, resulting in financial losses and repatriation. Cox’s Bazar worker Ratan Miya said, “I paid 25,000 BDT for a fit report, but was deemed unfit in Saudi Arabia. I returned empty-handed, burdened by loans, and see no way out but suicide.” These fake reports also tarnish Bangladesh’s reputation in the global labor market.
Further allegations point to involvement of dishonest Saudi embassy officials, who reportedly demand crores in shares to list new centers. Many centers in Rajshahi, Cox’s Bazar, and Barishal lack female doctors, with male doctors examining female workers, breaching GCC standards. Stakeholders demand a government inquiry committee and strict action against the culprits, urging the Saudi embassy to address irregularities in centers outside Dhaka.
AI/MR
