Dhaka, Aug 30 (IANS) Bangladesh has decided to send workers to Iraq under government arrangements and not through private agencies in a bid to avoid malpractices, a minister has said.

Currently, all manpower export to Iraq from Bangladesh is done through private recruiters. But that has been creating problems in the overseas employment sector, the Daily Star reported.

Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain said the the government decided on the move following his recent visit to Iraq.

‘It was actually the Iraqi authorities who proposed that we must send workers through government arrangements,’ he said.

The cost of sending workers to Iraq mainly for the construction sector would be no more than 30,000 taka (around $400) provided that the airfare is borne by the employers.

He said Bangladesh will sign a memorandum of understanding with Iraq soon and the process of sending workers would start thereafter.

The minister asked job-seekers not to pay any brokers or agents to go to Iraq.