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[Saif]

Bangladesh to get highest priority in sending workers to Malaysia

Malaysia is set to recruit up to 1.5 lakh foreign workers within months, with Bangladesh expected to receive the highest recruitment priority.

en.prothomalo.com

Bangladesh to get highest priority in sending workers to Malaysia
BSS Dhaka
Published: 15 May 2025, 19: 12

Asif Nazrul is with Malaysian human resource minister Steven Sim Chee Keong during his ongoing trip to the country. Courtesy

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul has said Bangladesh will get the highest priority in sending workers to Malaysia soon.

"We have learned from different sources that Malaysia is going to recruit one lakh to 1.5 lakh foreign workers within the next couple of months. I have had talks with their Human Resources Minister (Steven Sim Chee Keong) and he assured us that Bangladesh will be given the highest priority in recruiting laborers. Maximum number of laborers will be recruited from Bangladesh, we have received this assurance," Dr Asif Nazrul, who is currently visiting Malaysia, said in a video post on his verified Facebook account.

The adviser, in the post, said he had official meetings with Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs and their Human Resources Minister. "I had informal discussions with their trade minister as well. There are some developments and that is what I am sharing with you all," he added.

Referring last year's visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Bangladesh, Dr Asif Nazrul said the Malaysian premier is a personal friend of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and during that visit he had given assurance that he would give a chance to around 17,000 Bangladeshi workers, who failed to go to Malaysia by the 31 May, 2024 deadline.

"We have had many discussions based on this. They said that they would take those laborers on batch-wise and they have prepared a list of 7,926 workers in the first batch. They would give them opportunity to go and work there within a very short time and they (Malaysian administration) have already started the process," he added.

Dr Asif Nazrul also said he had requested the Malaysian Interior Minister to give Bangladeshi workers multiple entry visas.

"I had pointed out that though laborers from other countries get multiple entry visas in Malaysia, Bangladeshi laborers were not getting this. We talked for a while on this and he not only assured me, but also ordered his officials to take immediate action regarding this," the adviser said.

He further said he requested Malaysian officials to consider taking skilled workforce like security guards, caregivers and nurses from Bangladesh and they sounded positive in reply. He said the Malaysian officials have showed interest and the talks will continue in this regard.

"These all productive discussions were result of the personal friendship between our Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. We could do these thanks to his (Professor Muhammad Yunus) guidance, his personal directions. Special Envoy on International Affairs to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi also took part in the discussions and contributed a lot," he said.​

 

[Saif]

Malaysia labour market to reopen for Bangladeshis

Malaysia, a key destination for Bangladeshi workers in Southeast Asia, will reopen its door to Bangladeshi labour for the third time.

www.newagebd.net

Malaysia labour market to reopen for Bangladeshis
Staff Correspondent 17 May, 2025, 00:51

Malaysia, a key destination for Bangladeshi workers in Southeast Asia, will reopen its door to Bangladeshi labour for the third time.

After a year of closure, Malaysian authorities agreed to reopen its labour market to Bangladesh, with 7,926 workers from the country set to join the first phase of the new spell of migration in the coming months.

The development resulted from bilateral meetings between Bangladesh authorities and Malaysia’s minister of human resources and minister of home affairs in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

‘Malaysia has decided in principle to recruit a large number of Bangladeshi workers in the days to come,’ said youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain on Friday.

Asif in a post on his verified Facebook account further said Malaysia has also assured Bangladesh of ensuring proper wages, security, and overall welfare for the workers who will go to that country.

Earlier on Thursday, expatriates welfare and overseas employment adviser Asif Nazrul said Malaysia is set to recruit up to 1,50,000 foreign workers in the coming months and Bangladesh will receive the highest priority in the recruitment.

He revealed the information in a video message on his verified Facebook account following the bilateral meetings with the Malaysian authorities.

Asif Nazrul reminded that Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, during a visit to Bangladesh in the past year, had promised to allow those workers, who could not enter Malaysia that year, to get to that country this year.

Based on that decision, many discussions have taken place and Malaysia has finalised a list of 7,926 Bangladeshi workers for the first batch, who will soon get the opportunity to work in Malaysia, he said.

He also said that Malaysia has requested that all recruiting agents in Bangladesh should be allowed to send workers while Bangladesh has requested the regularisation of those Bangladeshi workers who have become irregular in Malaysia.

Asif further said they also discussed other issues, such as recruiting security personnel, caregivers, and nurses from Bangladesh.

Over the past 16 years, Malaysia’s labour market was shut down thrice for Bangladeshis.

Every time the issue of contention emerged to be the involvement of syndicates in sending workers to that country. Various allegations of irregularities, corruption, and bribery surfaced against the syndicates.

The Malaysian labour market was first shut down for Bangladeshis in 2009 and it was reopened towards the end of 2016.

The labour market was closed down again in September 2018 on the grounds of corruption and irregularities and it was reopened once again in 2022.

The third time was in March, 2024 when Malaysia again announced that they would not take any more workers for the time being. Those who had the approval and visas would have to enter that country by May 31, 2024, Malaysia further decided.

Some 8,98,970 Bangladeshis are currently working in Malaysia, according to official estimates. This is the highest number of foreign workers in the Southeast Asian country after Indonesians and Nepalese.

Malaysia is the fourth-highest remittance-sending country to Bangladesh.

Ministry officials said about 13 lakh Bangladeshi workers went to Malaysia from 2004 to May 2024. Of them, the largest proportion of workers went in a single year was in 2023 — more than 3.5 lakh.

In the first two years — 2007 and 2008 — before the labour market was closed first time, about 4,00,000 workers went to the country.

Before its labour market was closed for the second time, some 3,00,000 workers migrated to Malaysia in the last two years — 2017 and 2018 — while about 5,00,000 workers went to the country from August 2022 to May 2024.​

 

[Saif]

Migrants in Malaysia: Worker faces deportation after speaking up

Nearly 200 workers then began a strike on Friday, he said, requesting not to be named for fear of backlash.

www.thedailystar.net

Migrants in Malaysia: Worker faces deportation after speaking up

A Malaysian company has revoked the work permit of a Bangladeshi migrant and threatened to do the same to 60 others on Thursday, a day after the workers talked to Expatriates' Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul about poor working conditions, several workers have said.

The management of Negeri Sembilan-based Mediceram, which manufactures rubber gloves, called the worker named Nahid Ibrahim and told him that his work permit would be revoked and he would be deported, they said.

During his three-day visit to Malaysia from May 13-16, he met the Mediceram workers and held meetings with three Malaysian ministers to discuss how the Southeast Asian country can reopen its labour market for Bangladeshis and address the problems facing the workers.

Amid reports of irregularities in overseas recruitment, Malaysia suspended hiring Bangladesh workers in May last year.

Requesting anonymity, a worker of the gloves factory said, "We were shocked when we heard that Nahid would be deported and protested. Then, the management said it has a list of 60 of us who would be deported."

Nearly 200 workers then began a strike on Friday, he said, requesting not to be named for fear of backlash.

In an email to Prof Asif's Private Secretary Sarwoer Alam, Nahid wrote, "The company followed me and heard what I said about labour issues with our adviser. All of a sudden, they called me to the office and said I would be deported."

The email was also sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

Nahid went to Malaysia under a three-year contract and his visa expired in August this year. He spent more than Tk 5 lakh to reach the country and is still in debt because the company had not paid him regularly, according to the email.

"Please discuss with the company and stand by me and my family," Nahid wrote.

Nahid told The Daily Star yesterday that neither the adviser's PS nor the High Commission responded to the email.

According to a letter submitted to Prof Asif on May 14, the Bangladeshis workers gave between Tk 500,000 and Tk 600,000 to a recruiting agency named Greenland for jobs in Malaysia.

"Before our flights, they forced us to say on camera that we paid only Tk 78,000," reads the letter.

However, wages have been irregular for the last two years. In some months, the company pays only half or one-third of the salary, it said.

"Our families are now in deep financial crises. Our debts have doubled. In some months, we had to borrow more money from Bangladesh just to afford food here," it said.

Under such circumstances, they filed a complaint to the Labour Court late last year and then to the Bangladesh High Commission, but got no remedy.

They then contacted a migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who raised the issue with Mediceram and then got the labour issues audited by a third party.

At one point of time, Mediceram agreed to pay wages regularly and repay Malaysian Ringgit (RM) 22,500, which was spent as recruitment fees. It also paid RM 1,000 as an advance, assuring that another RM 875 would be paid on May 31, and the remaining amount would be paid in 12 months.

"But this payment plan is extremely difficult for us and poses a major challenge for our families," they said in the letter.

They have also requested the company to pay the full recruitment fee in a single installment.

Earlier, Mediceram had deported 35 workers to Bangladesh without any notice. Currently, the work permits of 170 have not been renewed. Some have been without a visa for a year, others for two years. A few months ago, four workers were arrested as they had no valid visas, but the company has not taken any responsibility, the letter says.

"We urge that our visas be renewed within next month and earnestly request you to resolve all these issues," the letter said.

Prof Asif met these migrants on the Mediceram company premises, advised them to solve any problem through discussion and not do anything that can be harmful for them or the company.

He also provided the email and phone number so that the migrants could directly contact him.

Adviser Asif and his PS Sarower could not be reached over phone for comments yesterday.

The Daily Star emailed Mediceram seeking comments on the allegations, but was yet to receive a reply as of last night.​

 

[Saif]

Job prospects, well-being of migrant workers

The International Labour Organization (ILO)'s recently released World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO) report portrays a rather grim picture about the state of youth employment in Bangladesh. This is more so, as according to the outgoing country director of ILO, Bangladesh, who said, 'Glo

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Job prospects, well-being of migrant workers

SYED FATTAHUL ALIM
Published :
Jun 02, 2025 00:21
Updated :
Jun 02, 2025 00:21

The International Labour Organization (ILO)'s recently released World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO) report portrays a rather grim picture about the state of youth employment in Bangladesh. This is more so, as according to the outgoing country director of ILO, Bangladesh, who said, 'Global contraction of jobs is of grave concern, especially for Bangladesh which is undergoing political, economic, social and climatic transitions and sends over a million workers abroad'.

In this connection, going by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)'s recently published Quarterly Labour Force data, in the second quarter of fiscal FY25, Bangladesh's unemployment rose to 4.63 per cent. The reason is, it says, the number of people unable to get a job was growing. So, the prospect for Bangladeshi workers to get overseas jobs looks less promising seeing that the ILO in its global employment forecast for 2025 projected the creation of only 53 million jobs which is 7.0 million fewer than 60 million forecasted earlier. Against this backdrop of declining trend in overseas job prospects for Bangladeshi workers, according to a news report, Japan, a highly industrialized Asian country, is going to recruit 100,000 workers from Bangladesh in the next five years is undoubtedly heartwarming.

In this connection, two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)are learnt to have been signed with Bangladesh's Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), a department under the Ministry of Manpower Development and Social Welfare. The organizations that signed the MoUs with BMET are Kaikom Dream Street (KDS) BD Co, Ltd.---a Japan-Bangladesh joint venture company. The second MoU, on the other hand, was signed between BMET and Japan's National Business Support Combined Cooperatives (NBCC), a Japanese federation representing some 65 companies and the Japan Bangla Bridge Recruiting Agency (JBBRA). Obviously, the private initiatives are recogised both by the governments of Japan and Bangladesh regarding Bangladeshi workers' recruitment in Japan. The importance of these events lies in the fact that unlike in the case of Western job markets, Bangladeshi job-seekers are not unwelcome due to restrictive immigration policy. Neither are they (Bangladeshi workers) endangering their lives at the hands of the illicit human traffickers.

The findings of a survey held some months back in Japan reveal that 57 per cent of the 3,500 companies which were interviewed, admitted that they hired foreign workers as they (Japanese companies) believed foreign workers could perform equally or even better than Japanese workers. In fact, this is a big shift in Japanese employers' mindset since in the past, the foreign workers who arrived in Japan on 'technical interim' visas got low-paid jobs. But the attitude has changed for the better over the years, thanks to Japan's declining population. The Japanese population including foreign nationals fell by 550,000 to 123.8 million in 2024. This marked the straight 14th year of decline in that country's population. In 2022, for instance, Japan's working age population (between 15 and 64 years of age) shrank by 296,000 to 74.2 million.

It is further projected that by 2060, the working age population would further decline to 47.95 million in Japan. Similarly, the labour force is projected to contract by 24 per cent or 16.1 million by 2050. Such a demographic regression in an advanced industrial nation is only expected. All industrially advanced nations are facing similar demographic crises. But when in Europe and North America, some politicians are whipping up anti-immigrant prejudice and obstructing entry of foreign workers, Japan has adopted the policy of welcoming them. However, unlike the job markets in the Gulf Arab states where most of Bangladesh's unskilled labour force has been traditionally destined, the Japanese labour market has practically no place for unskilled, or semi-skilled workers. Another barrier is the language. But the good news is that the Japanese companies willing to take Bangladeshi workers have come forward in this regard. The KDS that signed a MoU with BMET, for instance, will set up a specialised training cell at the Monohardi Technical Training Centre (MTTC). This facility will be under the Japan's Technical Training Program (TTIP) and Specified Skilled Workers (SSO) Initiative and operate by the name of Dream Street Business Training Center (DSBTC). The other MoU signed with NBCC and JBBRA, as noted in the foregoing, on a model training centre, styled, Bhalo Chakri Training Centre, will be set up under the TTIP and SSWO programmes. What is very interesting to note in this connection is that that different representatives of the Japanese industrial groups including the chairman of NBCC, Mikio Kasagayama, and the director of the Shizuoka Workplace Development Cooperative, Mitsuru Matsuhita, have openly expressed their choice about the skilled, young workers from Bangladesh.

This is a clear message from the Japanese corporate world that Japan, unlike other rich nations, industrialised or otherwise, will not be an apathetic or even hostile workplace for Bangladeshi workers. Given its aging population, the country is going to import an increasing number of foreign workers in the coming days. In that case, the government should expand the skills training facilities and Japanese language courses. Being a labour-surplus nation, Bangladesh should make the most of this opportunity.

While celebrating the widening prospects for job opportunities for our workers in Japan or any other overseas destinations, the government should not lose sight of the fact that the Bangladeshi expatriate workers are not mere hard currency earning machines. Their and their families' well-being should also be of equal concern, especially for the Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in the host countries. A recent report by the Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit (RMMRU), an organization working for better governance and services in the migration sector, came up with some shocking statistics about the deaths of expatriate workers abroad. It says, 31 per cent of these migrant workers die unnatural deaths in their host countries. Of these deaths, 16 per cent reportedly die in accidents, while 15 per cent commit suicide. But some 48 per cent of the families and relatives of the dead migrant workers have no faith in the death certificates issued by the authorities concerned of the host countries. Analysing the RMMRU report, a discussion event on the issue last week in the city, pointed out that the average age of the accident and suicide victims is 37 years. In some cases, the deaths are caused under dubious circumstances. No further post-mortem examinations are done in Bangladesh after the dead migrant workers' arrive in Bangladesh, though some corpses show marks of injury. Since challenging death certificates of the victim workers issued by the host government might be a sensitive issue, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s involvement and its guidance need to be ensured in this case.

In sum, of all the concerns often expressed about the expatriate workers and their status, the ones about their personal well-being should take centre stage.​

 

[Saif]

Will migrant workers’ dreams remain unfulfilled?

The concept of remittances is not new. Migrant labourers sending money home dates back to colonial times.

www.thedailystar.net

Will migrant workers’ dreams remain unfulfilled?

To ensure migrants’ dreams are realised, we need effective policies and a humane state response. File photo: STAR

The International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) is observed on June 16, a commemoration initiated in 2015 with support from the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). This year's global theme is "Remittances Financing Development." The day honours the sacrifices of migrant workers worldwide and their vital contributions to family and national economies through remittances.

The concept of remittances is not new. Migrant labourers sending money home dates back to colonial times. Today's formal systems are a modern continuation of that.

For developing countries like Bangladesh, remittances are a key economic pillar. But a pressing question remains: are the dreams and sacrifices of those behind the remittances truly acknowledged? Or are they simply meeting the needs of others while leaving their own aspirations unfulfilled?

Worldwide, over 280 million people currently live and work abroad for better job opportunities. The money they send home plays a significant role in global development. According to the World Bank, remittances to developing countries totalled around $650 billion in 2024. More than half of this amount—about $322 billion—was sent to just five countries. India led with $129 billion, followed by Mexico ($68 billion), China ($48 billion), the Philippines ($40 billion), and Pakistan ($33 billion).

In smaller economies, remittances form a large share of GDP—45 percent in Tajikistan, 38 percent in Tonga, and over 25 percent in countries like Lebanon, Nicaragua, and Samoa—helping to offset fiscal deficits and economic instability.

Since its independence, Bangladesh has pursued foreign employment, especially in the Middle East. Formal labour migration began in 1976, and remittances have since been a major source of foreign income. By the 1980s and 1990s, labour markets expanded to Southeast Asia and beyond. As overseas employment grew, remittance channels became more secure, aided by policy support and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment.

Technological advancements in the 2000s, especially mobile banking, made sending money faster and safer. This helped solidify remittances as an economic mainstay.

According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), more than 15 million Bangladeshis have gone abroad on work visas over the last 50 years. Their remittances have boosted the country's foreign currency reserves and revitalised rural areas.

In the first five months of 2025 alone, Bangladeshi expatriates sent home over $13 billion, which made the country the sixth highest remittance recipient globally.

Remittances are Bangladesh's second largest source of foreign currency after exports. But their impact goes far beyond balance sheets: families of remittance senders experience better living standards and reduced poverty, and more spending on schools and medical care boosts human development. Remittance income supports micro-enterprises and job creation. These inflows strengthen national economic resilience. Ultimately, remittances help ensure food security, improve access to services, reduce inequality, and promote women's empowerment.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis move to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and beyond, seeking better lives and livelihood opportunities. Their aim is simple: financial stability and a better future for their families. But the path is often painful. Many take loans or sell land to pay brokers, entering a cycle of debt even before departure. After arrival, they often face contract violations, wage delays, poor living conditions, and isolation. The work is gruelling and hours are long, but they endure for their families.

Sending money home isn't always easy. Despite progress, many still rely on informal channels like hundi, risking their hard-earned money and costing the nation valuable foreign currency. Access to secure digital services remains limited in some areas.

These workers dream modestly: a home and education for their children. Yet, many return home empty-handed, without reintegration support, job prospects or recognition.

To ensure migrants' dreams are realised, we need effective policies and a humane state response. Key steps include: ensuring safe, accessible remittance channels; providing training, legal aid, and information before departure to reduce exploitation; protecting migrant families; supporting reintegration by offering returnees skill training, microcredit, and employment pathways; strengthening diplomatic support by making embassies more responsive and compassionate towards migrant needs; and expanding incentives.

Remittances aren't just transactions. They are a child's tuition, a mother's medicine, a family's sustenance. Migrant workers send more than money. They send love, courage, and untold stories of struggle. They deserve more than symbolic recognition. They deserve lasting commitment. Only then will their sacrifices result in fulfilled dreams.

M M Mahbub Hasan is a banker and development researcher.​