Bangladesh Warns Of Worker Freeze If Malaysia Refuses Agreement Changes

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An adviser to the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry of Bangladesh has called for a review of an agreement made with Malaysia on the recruitment of migrant workers.
ADSAccording to a report by Bangladeshi news site The Daily Star, Asif Nazrul asserted that failure to amend the agreement, signed in 2021, could see the country opt out of sending its nationals to Malaysia.
He reportedly detailed that the agreement undertaken by Bangladesh’s previous government stipulated that the nation would provide a list of recruiting agencies from which Malaysia would select.
He described the formal agreement between the two nations as a “syndicate”.
“Now that we’ve (new Bangladesh government) taken over, everyone is saying the syndicate system must be abolished. But, to do that, we need to amend the agreement.
“We can’t force Malaysia to change it (the agreement). If they refuse, we have two options: follow their terms and send workers through 20, 50, or 100 agencies, or stop sending workers altogether,” he was quoted as saying.
While noting that Malaysia is expected to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next year, Asif said he would be accused of being “part of” the syndicate if he allows workers to be sent via the existing agreement.
“But, if I don’t send anyone, 40,000 workers will miss out, and Malaysia will remember that. This could affect up to two lakh (200,000) families in the long run,” he added.
Labour deal sparks syndicate probe
Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry signed the agreement with Bangladesh in December 2021 after the previous deal expired in February 2020, with the new terms set to remain in force until December 2026.
Before signing the new agreement, both countries stated their intention to eliminate the “syndicate” system formed by a select list of agencies handling the recruitment process - a practice linked to rising costs and various irregularities.
However, concerns were raised by the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, which demanded fair opportunity for all of its approximately 1,600 member agencies to participate in the recruitment process for Malaysia.
ADSUnder the agreement, Malaysia proposed a list of 25 Bangladeshi recruitment agents and 250 sub-agents. The proposal, however, was reportedly rejected by Imran Ahmed, the then-minister for overseas employment and migrant welfare.
On Oct 23 last year, Bangladeshi police arrested a former minister linked to a large-scale investigation into labour agencies sending workers to Malaysia.
According to media reports, Imran was detained by Dhaka police last Monday, with the capital’s police declining to disclose the reason behind his arrest.
In September, The Business Standard reported that the owner of a labour recruitment agency had filed a police report against 103 individuals, including Imran, alleging involvement in a syndicate that exploited Bangladeshis seeking jobs in Malaysia.
The report alleged corruption and human trafficking tied to the recruitment process, carried out by agencies selected through the agreement between the two governments. - FMT

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