Malaysia has reopened its labour market for Bangladeshi workers, but attached around a dozen conditions that Dhaka considers unacceptable, said expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment adviser Asif Nazrul.
According to a press release, adviser Nazrul made the remarks as chief guest at the launch of ‘Overseas Employment Platform’ on Wednesday at a city hotel.
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment launched the Overseas Employment Platform in order to promote safe migration and fair recruitment.
Developed under the ministry, the OEP is a joint initiative by the government of Bangladesh, the International Labour Organisation and the government of Switzerland.
The integrated national digital gateway is designed to connect all key actors in the labour migration cycle – including aspirant migrant workers, recruitment agencies, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, technical training centres, employers, immigration authorities and return and reintegration service providers.
At the launch, Nazrul said that Bangladesh had already conveyed its objections to several of the proposed conditions and would continue discussions with Malaysian authorities to secure a more favourable position for Bangladeshi workers.
Malaysia’s new criteria require recruiting agencies to have at least five years of operational experience, a record of sending a minimum of 3,000 workers in the past five years and experience sending workers to at least three countries.
Agencies must also hold a valid licence, a good-conduct certificate, operate their own training and assessment centre, present recommendation letters from at least five international employers, maintain a permanent office space of 10,000 square feet, and prove compliance with destination-country regulations, he said.
The adviser warned that enforcing such stringent conditions may pave the way for a syndicate.
‘Only a handful of agencies would be able to send workers if these standards are enforced. We want an open and competitive labour market,’ he said.
Asif Nazrul said that the platform was designed to ensure transparency in the recruitment process and help prospective migrant workers avoid fraud and exploitation, especially as Bangladesh continues discussions with Malaysia to secure fairer conditions for its workers.
In his remarks, Max Tunon, country director, ILO Bangladesh, said, ‘The OEP is a concrete step toward operationalising fair recruitment principles. By centralising information and processes, the platform supports better regulation of recruitment agencies, improves access to verified information for workers, and ultimately contributes to safer and more orderly migration.’
Deipak Elmar, deputy head of mission, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, said, ‘Technology alone will not fix migration governance. The true success of this platform will come from how institutions, recruiting agencies, employers and migrants themselves engage with it. Its effectiveness will be determined by the commitment and responsibility of all stakeholders.’
In his concluding remarks, programme chair Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, senior secretary of the ministry, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to further strengthening and expanding the platform.
He said, ‘The launch of the OEP is not the end of a project; it is the beginning of a new phase in managing labour migration. We will continue to enhance its features, ensure institutional coordination, and work closely with our partners so that migrant workers can plan their journeys with dignity, safety and confidence.’