Kuala lumpur: Malaysia will resume recruitment of Bangladeshi workers from the last week of August, Prime Minister’s Adviser and spokesperson Mahdi Amin announced on Thursday. ‘We have set a realistic target so that Bangladeshi workers can start travelling to Malaysia from the last week of August,’ he stated at a press conference at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury was also present at the press conference. Mahdi expressed gratitude to the Malaysian government for reopening the labour market after a prolonged suspension, thanking Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, and other authorities for their cooperation.
Mahdi emphasized that the government’s efforts are guided by the principle of ‘Bangladesh First’ to protect the interests of the country’s workforce, hoping that the resumption of worker migration would contribute significantly to Bangladesh’s economy in the future. He advised aspiring migrant workers to remain patient, follow official procedures, and be cautious of middlemen and fraudulent syndicates.
He assured that the government would take action against brokers and dishonest recruitment networks to prevent workers from facing harassment or exploitation. Technical-level work between the two countries is expected to commence soon, with the Bangladesh and Malaysian High Commissions working jointly to facilitate the process.
Mahdi mentioned that the Malaysian Human Resources Ministry and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment are collaborating to make the recruitment process more transparent and efficient. Malaysia is expected to announce detailed recruitment procedures soon, while the Bangladesh High Commission has been instructed to become more service-oriented and accessible to migrant workers.
The government has requested Malaysia to prioritize state-owned Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) in the first phase of recruitment to reduce migration costs and ensure transparency. Referring to a list of 423 recruiting agencies submitted during the tenure of the interim government, Mahdi said the Malaysian authorities would determine the final number of agencies based on their verification process under the existing memorandum of understanding, valid until December.
Bangladesh has requested Malaysia to include the maximum number of eligible recruiting agencies, given its importance as an overseas employment destination for Bangladeshi workers. Agencies and individuals involved in unethical practices have had their licenses canceled by Bangladesh and will not be part of the new recruitment framework.
The government’s priority is to resume manpower exports to Malaysia promptly, reduce migration costs, ensure transparency, and promote skilled migration. Mahdi highlighted broader bilateral cooperation, including trade, investment, technology transfer, education, healthcare, and cultural exchanges, and expanding Malaysian investments in Bangladesh.
Both countries are exploring cooperation in the energy sector, with discussions on how Malaysia’s state-owned energy company, Petronas, could help address Bangladesh’s gas shortage. The reopening of the labour market follows a series of productive meetings over the past three months between officials of the two countries, culminating in recent talks with Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry.
Mahdi and Minister Ariful are in Malaysia on a three-day official visit and are scheduled to return to Dhaka early Friday. Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury and other High Commission officials also attended the press conference.