Several hundred Malaysia-bound migrant workers blocked traffic in Dhaka on Sunday morning, demanding that the government immediately ensure their long-delayed departure.
The protest began around 9:30am at Karwan Bazar, one of the capital鈥檚 busiest intersections, halting traffic for more than an hour and leaving commuters stranded.
The workers pressed a five-point demand, including guaranteed recruitment in Malaysia.
A delegation of the protesters later met officials at the Ministry of Expatriates鈥� Welfare and Overseas Employment. Following assurances that their concerns would be addressed, the blockade was lifted around 10:45am.
The demonstration highlights the uncertainty facing nearly 7,873 Bangladeshi migrants who had secured jobs, visas, and even plane tickets to Malaysia last year but were unable to travel due to a shortage of flights.
The interim Bangladeshi government has since reached an understanding with Malaysian authorities to facilitate their departure through the state-run recruiting agency, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd.
Between June 2022 and May 2024, Malaysia recruited approximately 450,000 Bangladeshi workers. But the labour market abruptly closed for Bangladeshis on May 31, 2024, after Kuala Lumpur raised serious allegations of corruption and irregularities in the recruitment process.
鈥榃e got stuck for reasons beyond our control. Later, the government assured us that we would be sent through BOESL, but instead of helping, BOESL is harassing us,鈥� said Sagor Farazi, a worker from Shariatpur.
Malaysia has long been one of the top destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers. Since 2004, it has employed nearly 1.3 million Bangladeshis, mostly in agriculture, construction, factories, and the service sector.