16,970 workers fail to reach Malaysia due to mismanagement

Due to mismanagement by government authorities and local recruiting agents 16,970 Bangladeshi migrant workers missed the May 31 deadline to reach Malaysia.

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, revealed the numbers during a briefing at the ministry’s office in New Eskaton, Dhaka. He stated that his ministry had approved 526,676 workers for Malaysia, while the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) approved 493,642 workers.

"Of them, 16,970 workers failed to reach Malaysia by the deadline (May 31)," said Choudhury.

In response to this issue, the ministry has formed a six-member investigation committee, led by Additional Secretary Noor Md Mahbubul Haq, to determine the causes of the mismanagement. "Those who are responsible will be brought to book," Choudhury emphasized, noting that the committee will submit its report within seven days, and actions will follow based on their findings.

Choudhury placed the blame on the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) for the failure. He explained that the ministry had requested a demand list from Baira to organize the necessary flights, but the association did not provide the list.

When questioned about the inflated airfares for Malaysia-bound workers, Choudhury admitted he was unaware of the issue but promised to investigate.

Efforts are underway to resume the Malaysian labor market, with a meeting scheduled with the Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka on June 5 to discuss future actions.

Addressing the issue of a recruiting syndicate, Choudhury affirmed, "The government wants all recruiting agencies to be able to send workers." He declined to name any MPs allegedly involved in the syndicate, stating he only knew the recruiting agencies and assured that those responsible would face consequences.

Md Ruhul Amin, secretary at the Ministry of Expatriates‍‍` Welfare and Overseas Employment, encouraged workers who failed to reach Malaysia to file complaints with the newly formed probe committee. He also mentioned plans to reimburse the workers who couldn‍‍`t make the trip, adding that those who did manage to reach Malaysia recently have secured jobs.