Dhaka:Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced hopeful plans to initiate cost-free flights for Bangladeshi workers traveling to Malaysia starting in December.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister expressed this hope during a meeting with representatives from recruiting agencies involved with the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS) at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Eskaton, Dhaka. He stated that the first few flights are expected to operate without cost to the workers, with the expenses being covered by foreign employers or their recruiting agencies.
The minister emphasized the government's commitment to broadening participation among licensed recruiting agencies, ensuring that the recruitment process is not limited to a few. He also mentioned plans to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the end of the year, as well as the requirement for demand letters from foreign employers to be submitted online for transparency.
Additional plans include setting up separate cells in destination countries to support workers and addressing medical examination fees, which have been set at Tk 8,000 for workers heading to Malaysia. Other dignitaries present at the meeting included Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment State Minister Md. Nurul Hoque and Gazipur-5 constituency lawmaker AKM Fazlul Haque Milon.