Kuwait City: New details on Bangladeshi MP Mohammed Shahid Islam’s dealings and businesses in Kuwait have surfaced, Al Qabas reported.
It had previously been reported that Islam has four companies in Kuwait all of which are in the labour contracting and cleaning industry. Yet, it has been revealed that he possesses commercial licenses that allow him to trade in everything from Kuwait, from children’s toys to antique carpets.
A document obtained by Al Qabas shows that Islam has a commercial license known as ‘general trading and contracting’ license, which basically grants him access into almost all trading industries.
According to a source that spoke to Al Qabas, this distinctive license enables Islam access, to not only governmental cleaning contact, but rather many governmental contracts from construction and electric work to agriculture and car rentals.
In addition, by obtaining this license Islam was able to hid behind government contracts and bring in more workers without any legal obstacles, the source pointed out.
By entering the the gold and carpet business, Islam was able to continue his illegal permit trading scheme without raising suspicion because of the high value earned from his other business dealings, the source added.
Cleaning companies
Cleaning companies are one of the easiest methods of bringing in foreign labour, the source said.
An informed source told Al Qabas that some governmental contracts are drawn up so that there are 500 employees, working as cleaners, but in actual fact only 100 end up working directly for the company. The remaining are usually left to find work on their own and are considered ‘marginal workers’.
The term ‘marginal workers’ is used to describe unfixed employment, most often conducted by low income workers. In the context of Kuwait, ‘marginal workers’ are those that do not have a fixed job or company job, rather they find work whenever and wherever they can. Many are caught in the web of illegal permit trading, as they purchase a permit, usually around 1,500 Kuwaiti dinars, with the hopes of finding a job and making a living in Kuwait.
Although cleaning companies, like Islam’s, are in the business of illegal permit trading, Islam brought in foreign labour under various other companies.
According to a report by Al Qabas, 20,000 Bangladeshi workers were brought to Kuwait, by Islam, in exchange for more than 50 million Kuwaiti dinars.
Who is Mohammed Shahid Islam?
Back in June 8, Islam was arrested on charges of human trafficking, money laundering and bribery, according to local media.
Islam is being accused of bringing in thousands of Bangladeshi’s into Kuwait in exchange for money, usually ranging around 1,500 to 2,000 Kuwaiti dinars, Al Qabas reported.
The Bangladeshi MP has an annual net profit of around two million Kuwaiti dinars after all the bribes and money he spent on gifts in exchange for facilitating transactions and paperwork to bring in workers from Bangladesh.
