Bangladesh asks Malaysia to arrest two businessmen in trafficking case

Bangladesh Police have asked the Malaysian authorities to arrest and extradite two businessmen as part of an investigation into allegations of money laundering, extortion, and migrant worker trafficking, reports Bloomberg News today.

According to a letter sent from Bangladesh Interpol to its counterpart in Malaysia on October 24, Aminul Islam and Ruhul Amin have allegedly played key roles in a system that "fraudulently extorted money from the victims (migrant workers)" and exposed them to "physical and mental torture". The letter, seen by Bloomberg, does not confirm if the accused have been charged.

Inspector Ashiqur Rahman of Bangladesh's Interpol branch confirmed the matter over the phone on Sunday. A senior Bangladeshi government official also confirmed the letter.

Bangladesh police asked that Malaysia's government temporarily halt its use of software provided by Bestinet Sdn, a closely held company founded by Aminul. Malaysian officials have used this software to process and monitor migrant workers since at least 2018.

Born in Bangladesh, Aminul gained Malaysian citizenship over a decade ago. His lawyer said they have not received any information about the letter and categorically denied the allegations raised in it.

A Bestinet representative said their company isn't aware of the letter from Bangladesh's police, including the request that Malaysian authorities stop using Bestinet software, and declined to comment.

A similar response was received from Catharsis International, a Dhaka-based recruitment firm owned by Ruhul. A representative for Catharsis, by email, told Bloomberg that Ruhul refuted the allegations and has "always been operating legally, legitimately and ethically."

Malaysia's police, the nation's home affairs, foreign affairs and resource ministries didn't respond to requests for comment.

As per Inspector Ashiqur, the men were last sighted in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian authorities responded to the letter by requesting the Bangladesh police submit a formal request for extradition. Those documents are currently being prepared, the inspector added.