Kathmandu, March 6

Manpower agencies have closed their services from today, defying what they called an arbitrary arrest of foreign employment entrepreneurs.

The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies said that it decided to close the agencies’ offices from today for an indefinite time in protest against unnecessary interference in the business of manpower agencies.

The Association organised a sit-in programme at Tahachal in front of the Shramgram (labour village) and stopped the labourers from taking work permit from the Department of Labour.

Gurung added that police arbitrarily raided the manpower agencies and tortured the entrepreneurs without any reason.

However, police have claimed that they raided the offices of manpower agencies as some of them were found involved in human trafficking and illegal transactions for money supply.

Police have claimed that it was taking action against the manpower agencies indulging in irregularities by confining to its jurisdiction.

It may be noted that the police, a few days ago, had raided some offices of manpower agencies and arrested its proprietors on the charge of getting involved in irregularities.