Bangladeshi Workers Set to Head to Malaysia in November

After a long wait, there is good news for Bangladeshi workers seeking jobs in Malaysia. Efforts to reopen the Malaysian labour market to Bangladeshi workers are progressing. If all formalities are completed, the country may begin sending workers in the first week of November. Initially, workers will be sent through the state-owned Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL). Private recruiting agencies are expected to be involved in later phases.

While the prospect of reopening the Malaysian labour market has raised hopes, the situation in the Middle East remains uncertain. Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have added to instability in the region’s labour market, putting Bangladeshi workers, along with workers from other Asian countries, at risk.

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Noor announced the development at a migration dialogue titled “Preventing Irregular Risky Migration and Ensuring Accountability of Sub-agents”, organised by the Witness Foundation on Wednesday.

The state minister said preparations were underway to send workers to Malaysia. The list of approved medical centres is expected to be published by October 31, and health examinations may begin at those centres on November 1. Once medical examinations start, workers are expected to be able to travel to Malaysia in the first week of November.

Mohammad Ali, a former executive committee member of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said the BNP’s election manifesto had promised to create overseas employment opportunities for one crore people over five years. Although delayed, the reopening of the promising Malaysian labour market has brought joy to those hoping to work there.

However, he stressed that recruitment processing fees and overall migration costs must be set at reasonable levels, particularly because 25 recruiting agencies are being considered for sending workers to Malaysia. Medical examination fees must also be fixed quickly.

Mohammad Ali warned that the Middle Eastern labour market was facing multiple crises. He said strict measures were needed to prevent a syndicate from gaining a monopoly over recruitment to Malaysia and to stop agencies or intermediaries from charging excessive migration fees. He also called for arrangements allowing other legitimate recruiting agencies, alongside the 338 approved agencies, to submit job-demand documents from employers.

Malaysia’s labour market begins to reopen

Malaysia stopped allowing Bangladeshi workers to enter the country for employment on May 31, 2024. The Malaysian government halted the entry of new workers following allegations of irregularities in recruitment, excessive costs and other problems.

After lengthy discussions, the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia attested a job-demand document on September 28 for the recruitment of 28 Bangladeshi workers by NSK Trade City, a well-known Malaysian supermarket chain. The high commission and Goodness Services Limited, a Bangladeshi recruiting agency (RL-2068), confirmed the development.

The move marked a practical step towards resuming the deployment of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia after a prolonged suspension. Malaysia has approved 338 large, licensed recruiting agencies to send workers to the country. Employers’ job-demand documents are being submitted through Malaysia’s Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) and the service centre of the Bangladesh High Commission. Relevant sources said no job-demand document would be accepted without attestation from the high commission.

The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has announced that medical examinations for workers travelling to Malaysia are scheduled to begin on October 31, subject to the relevant instructions. The government initially planned to send 10,000 workers through BOESL. However, the process will not be entirely free of charge. Including airfares, medical examinations and service charges, the total cost is expected to range from Tk 155,000 to Tk 160,000.

The cost of sending workers through private agencies will be determined through discussions with the relevant parties. The government has said it will closely monitor the process to keep expenses under control. Workers will know where to undergo medical examinations after the list of approved centres is published. They have been advised not to undergo examinations at unauthorised facilities and to verify official instructions before making payments to any person or organisation.

The reopening initiative follows Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Malaysia and diplomatic efforts to resume recruitment. After taking office, he placed particular emphasis on reopening overseas labour markets that had been closed or had shrunk. Malaysia was the destination of his first foreign visit, during which he discussed resuming recruitment from Bangladesh with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Following further discussions and diplomatic efforts, the process of reopening the market gained momentum.

However, there are concerns that many Bangladeshi jobseekers remain unaware of the official recruitment process. The Malaysian government published the procedures and stages for recruiting foreign workers, including workers from Bangladesh, around a month ago. But the information has not been adequately publicised in Bangladesh.

This information gap has reportedly created opportunities for some recruiting agencies, travel agencies, brokers and intermediaries. Social media promotions, job offers and promises of quick placement in Malaysia are being used to attract jobseekers. There are concerns that some people may come to rely on these unofficial claims instead of verified government information.

Middle East labour market remains under pressure

The labour market in the Middle East is also facing growing uncertainty amid regional conflict and reported Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Bangladeshi workers employed across the region are increasingly concerned about their safety and employment prospects.

An estimated 7–8 million Bangladeshis work in the six Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Significant numbers are also employed in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Amid the wider conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, Iranian attacks have targeted US military installations in several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have also launched attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding to concerns among migrant workers and those preparing to travel abroad.

The conflict has created further uncertainty for Bangladesh’s overseas employment sector, particularly because Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are among the country’s largest labour markets. Following reported Houthi attacks on airports in several Saudi cities, 153 direct and transit flights from Dhaka have been cancelled or suspended, affecting 22,636 passengers.

According to information from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authorities, 76 direct flights and 77 transit flights have been cancelled or suspended. Among the affected direct flights, 33 were operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 10 by US-Bangla Airlines, 20 by Saudia and 13 by Riyadh Air.

The disruption has caused serious difficulties for Bangladeshi expatriate workers who had returned home on leave and are now struggling to return to their jobs in the Middle East. The conflict is having both direct and indirect effects on the lives of millions of Bangladeshi migrant workers. Employment opportunities are becoming less certain, while airfares and transportation costs are rising. Families that depend on remittances are also facing greater financial uncertainty.

The risk could increase further if military confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensifies. The situation is particularly concerning for Bangladesh because Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are among its main sources of overseas employment. Those concerned say prolonged instability could weaken the labour market further and eventually affect remittance inflows.

Nearly 12.5 million Bangladeshi expatriates continue to send remittances home, making a major contribution to the country’s development and supporting millions of families. The number of Bangladeshi workers travelling to the Middle East has already declined in recent months amid the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The continuing war has created further uncertainty in some of Bangladesh’s largest overseas labour markets.

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Mohammad Nurul Haque Noor said the government was trying to hold bilateral discussions to extend the visas of Saudi-bound expatriate workers stranded in Bangladesh.