Kuala lumpur: Malaysia will begin recruiting Bangladeshi workers across all sectors starting from the last week of August, announced Mahdi Amin, Adviser and spokesperson to the Prime Minister. This decision follows bilateral talks aimed at facilitating the entry of Bangladeshi workers into Malaysia, marking a significant milestone in the labor agreements between the two countries.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Mahdi Amin disclosed this development during a press conference held at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Labour and Employment and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury was also present. Mahdi Amin expressed gratitude to the Malaysian government, particularly acknowledging Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Human Resources Minister R. Ramanan, for their support in reopening the Malaysian job market for Bangladeshi workers.
The decision is anticipated to open up employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers across various sectors, positively impacting Bangladesh's economy. Mahdi Amin advised prospective workers to adhere to official procedures and cautioned against engaging with brokers and fraudulent syndicates, while assuring that the government will collaborate with law enforcement to ensure a transparent and harassment-free recruitment process.
Technical-level work is set to commence soon through joint efforts by the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia and the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka. The two governments are also actively working to streamline recruitment procedures, reduce migration costs, enhance worker skills, and ensure transparency.
During the initial recruitment phase, the state-owned Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) will be given priority. Malaysia will finalize the number of recruiting agencies after reviewing a list of 423 agencies submitted by Bangladesh, under an existing memorandum of understanding which remains valid until December.
The government has already revoked licenses of corrupt and unethical recruiting agencies and individuals, ensuring that no such entities are part of the new recruitment process. Mahdi Amin highlighted ongoing bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, technology, education, healthcare, and culture between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
Discussions are underway to increase investments from Malaysian companies, including Axiata and MMC Ports, and to explore potential gas supplies from Malaysia's state-owned energy company Petronas to address Bangladesh's energy needs. Recent talks between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have further strengthened bilateral relations, especially in energy and labor sectors.
Mahdi Amin attributed the prolonged closure of Malaysia's labor market to irregularities under the previous government but noted the current administration's successful diplomatic efforts in reopening it. The adviser and the labor minister are on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, scheduled to return to Dhaka tomorrow.