Aggrieved members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) have urged the commerce ministry to revoke extending the trade body's present tenure by nearly a year.

As per rules, the present committee's (2016-2018) tenure ends on July 12 and the next executive committee was scheduled to be elected on June 24.

However, in response to a letter of Baira President Benjir Ahmed on April 3, the ministry, in an order on May 8, extended the tenure of the committee until March 2019.

Ahmed sought the extension in the letter, mentioning of upcoming holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, the Hajj and parliamentary elections.

Many Baira members were also members of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) and Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab), he said.

“So they will remain engaged in business during the Hajj, which will lead to lower participation in the Baira election,” he added.  However members of Baira, a trade body of 1,400 agencies engaged in overseas labour recruitment, sent another letter to the ministry demanding the election on the stipulated date. The letter, signed by Shafiqul Alam, proprietor of recruiting agency Zahrat Associate, and addressed to the ministry's director (trade organisation), stated that there were 100 signatory Baira members along with general members backing the demand.

It said Ahmed sought the deferral to maintain his influence in favour of 10 recruiting agents, who are the sole ones the government authorised for sending manpower to Malaysia. The monopoly was leading to each worker having to pay Tk 4 lakh although the government fixed the migration cost at Tk 36,000, it said.

The letter, dated May 13, said the extension was illegal and the Baira members would seek legal action if the ministry order was not withdrawn in three days.