Former state minister Lutfur Rahman Khan Azad and Baira President and former BNP lawmaker MAH Salim are still trading allegations of extortion, bribery and gross mismanagement in the overseas employment process.

Some of the Baira executive committee leaders are supporting the former state minister while some others are siding with the Baira president in their blame game against each other.

Under the circumstances, Malaysia has slowed down the visa process for the Bangladeshi workers. As of yesterday, it has issued less than 1,500 visas against over 25 thousand job approvals that it had sent earlier, Baira sources said.

Salim alleged on Monday that while in office Lutfur Rahman demanded Tk 25 crore from him. "As I refused to pay the money, he asked the commerce ministry to suspend Baira executive committee."

When contacted, Lutfur Rahman denied the allegation and said he would soon make public all documents in support of the allegations against Baira and its president.

"Baira did not come up with the allegation against me earlier. There is a big mafia in manpower business. None dared to take any action against it but I did as I had enough documents to support my action," the former state minister said.

The process of making allegations against each other began as the expatriates ministry in a letter to the commerce ministry on October 22 asked for suspension of the executive committee of Baira, accusing it of overcharging the aspirant migrant workers and renting an office in Kuala Lumpur without government permission.

The expatriates ministry also recommended appointment of an administrator to continue overseas employment smoothly as long as the Baira committee remains suspended.

In another letter to the Prime Minister's Office on the same day, the ministry sought permission to constitute a high-powered committee to probe how Baira rented an office in Kuala Lumpur and overcharged overseas job seekers.

While the probe body was formed, Baira wrote a letter to the commerce ministry saying the allegations against it are baseless, wanted to know why the government will suspend its executive committee and appoint an administrator.

Later, the commerce ministry arranged a hearing in the presence of representatives from the ministries of commerce, expatriates welfare and home affairs, and Baira.

Baira on Monday got a High Court stay order on the government move to suspend Baira executive body and appoint an administrator. The stay order followed a writ petition by Baira General Secretary Ali Haider Chowdhury.

Issuing the stay order, a division bench comprising Justice Syed M Dastagir Husain and Mamnoon Rahman asked the government to refrain from interfering with the affairs of the petitioner organisation.

There were allegations that after Malaysia entrusted Baira with managing the migration process, it started charging 1,800 ringgit or Tk 36,000 from each worker in addition to the fixed amount of $1,200 or Tk 84,000.

As per directives from Malaysia, Baira was supposed to rent an office in Kuala Lumpur but the Baira President Salim himself, in the name of Baira, rented an office where he had only 10 percent share while three Malaysians held the rest shares.

The government said Salim rented the office without its permission and it also has intelligence reports on Baira's overcharging the workers. Some recruiting agencies also made the same allegations to the government.

Baira sources said Salim also did not take permission from its executive committee nor took any money from Baira for renting the office.

"Salim still personally takes Ringgit 300 or Tk 6,000 from each worker before taking biometrics fingerprint at Baira office without giving any receipt and without government permission," said a recruiting agent. "This is highly illegal."

The Baira general secretary said constitution of the association provides that it can open liaison offices for market promotion. So there is nothing wrong in opening office in Kuala Lumpur.

"The government can now take action against Salim personally if he is found guilty. But Baira should not suffer for it," Ali Haider added.

Asked why Baira did not make any allegations against the state minister when he demanded bribe, he said they did not want to embarrass anyone but run their business smoothly.

On Salim's alleged extortion of Tk 6,000 from each worker, he said, "I do not know anything about it."

The Baira president could not be contacted for his comment.