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Following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Malaysia, the country’s labour market has once again been announced open for Bangladeshi workers. The government hopes that the process of sending workers without cost could begin within the next one to two months.
Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Arif H. Chowdhury informed journalists about this at the Sylhet Circuit House on Tuesday (July 7) afternoon.
The Minister stated that good news regarding labour markets in the Middle East, Japan, and Mauritius, in addition to Malaysia, might also be announced soon. He added that this time, Bangladesh would select the recruiting agencies for worker deployment. Consequently, emphasis is being placed on a coordinated initiative by the government and relevant agencies to prevent syndicates and corruption.
Stakeholders suggest that if transparency is not ensured, obstacles to manpower export could arise again in the future.
Due to allegations of irregularities and corruption, Malaysia’s labour market closed for Bangladeshi workers in 2008. Although it reopened in 2016, the country stopped taking workers again in 2018 under similar accusations. Despite the resumption of worker deployment in August 2022, Malaysia’s labour market closed once more for Bangladeshi workers on June 1, 2024. Subsequently, discussions continued between the two countries regarding various terms and procedures.
Meanwhile, the government agency BOESL has been tasked with sending 7,873 workers who could not go to Malaysia in 2024. Approximately 3,000 of them have already reached Malaysia. Stakeholders have demanded a swift decision regarding the remaining workers.
During the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Malaysia, the issue of employment for Bangladeshi workers was discussed with significant importance. The announcement of the labour market’s reopening came after the two governments initiated efforts to resolve legal complexities through discussions.