Last Friday, Al Mamun, from Khulna's Terokhada, arrived at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal Airport brimming with hope for a better future in Malaysia.

However, his dreams were shattered after hours of agonizing waiting alongside hundreds of other hopeful workers, as it became clear that they will not be able to board the flights.

Despite having completed all the necessary procedures and receiving final clearance, 16,970 Bangladeshi workers like Mamun were unable to travel to Malaysia. Some of them were unable to obtain airline tickets, while others did not receive final approval from their employers in Malaysia.

Their employers did not send any confirmation that they would be received at the airport.

The expatriates’ welfare ministry had authorized 4,93,642 workers to go to Malaysia until May 31 and a total of 4,76,672 have departed from Dhaka for Kuala Lumpur as of Thursday.

Effective June 1, Malaysia has closed its labor market to new Bangladeshi workers. This temporary suspension has left many workers stranded, unable to travel to the country despite having completed the necessary procedures.

The Ministry had requested the Malaysian government to extend the deadline by one week a week earlier, but there was no response.

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Shahriar Alam Chowdhury said on Sunday that the government is working on the issue and will discuss it with the Malaysian ambassador on Wednesday.

He also mentioned that to investigate allegations of corruption and irregularities in the Malaysian labor market and bring those responsible to justice, his ministry has formed an investigation committee.

Widespread irregularities and syndicate

After a four-year hiatus, Malaysia's labor market reopened in 2022. In a while a vested quarter  formed a syndicate involving 100 agencies, and started exploiting the situation.

Despite the government-mandated maximum cost of Tk 78,990 per worker, Bangladeshi workers were forced to pay an average of Tk 550,000. Despite that, many workers failed to secure employment upon arrival in Malaysia.

Facing pressure from the United Nations and other international organizations, Malaysia shut down the labor market to revamp its foreign worker recruitment process. However, concerns about the re-emergence of syndicates have surfaced again.

Malaysia recruits workers from 14 countries, including Bangladesh. All agencies from these countries are permitted to send workers, except for Bangladesh, where Malaysia only approves specific agencies.

Bangladesh proposed that all 1,520 of its licensed recruiting agencies be allowed to send workers to Malaysia but the Malaysian government only approved 101 agencies, a selection that has been criticized by industry insiders who allege these agencies engage in the manipulation and exploitation of migrant workers.

The lack of transparent criteria for selecting these agencies has raised eyebrows. Capitalizing on this situation is Bestinet, the company that owns the software for migrating Malaysia's Foreign Workers Central Management System (FWCMS).

The company's owner, Aminul Islam bin Abdul Noor, is of Bangladeshi descent but is a Malaysian citizen known as Amin Noor. He controls the entire business of sending workers from Malaysia.

Meanwhile a Prothom Alo investigation points to the involvement of four members of parliament (MPs) in the illicit scheme.

When questioned about potential action against these individuals, Minister Shahriar Alam Chowdhury stated, "Everything will be investigated through a committee. I don't know any MPs, recruiting agencies, or anything about this. If anyone is found responsible, action will be taken."

Alam, speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, emphasized that the decision of which recruitment agencies to utilize for hiring Bangladeshi workers ultimately lies with the Malaysian government.

The Bangladeshi government, on the other hand, advocates for an open system where workers can seek employment abroad through various channels, he added.

What has been done so far?

The Bangladesh government has already sought resolution from the United Nations regarding the mismanagement and discriminatory policies of the Malaysian agencies in recruiting Bangladeshis.

Responding to a letter from four UN experts, Bangladesh's mission to the UN in Geneva detailed the timeline of events regarding labor recruitment between Bangladesh and Malaysia.

An agreement was signed between the two countries on December 19, 2021. Subsequently, in January 2022, the Malaysian ministry proposed selecting only 25 Bangladeshi agencies for recruitment, while the Bangladeshi ministry countered by requesting that all licensed agencies be allowed to participate.

The letter from Bangladesh's Permanent Mission to the UN emphasized the minister's stance that allowing all licensed agencies to participate in the recruitment process would ensure transparency and fairness, aligning with international labor standards and Bangladeshi competition law.

Despite this request reiterated in a joint meeting, Malaysia unilaterally increased the number of approved agencies to 101, including the state-owned BOESL.

This issue has regained attention due to widespread reports of exploitation of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, leading to a temporary suspension of recruitment on May 31st.

Between August 2022 and May 2024, half a million Bangladeshi workers migrated to Malaysia, paying exorbitant recruitment fees of $4,500 to $6,000, as highlighted by UN experts in a letter to both countries.

The letter also detailed allegations of a bribery scheme in the recruitment process involving Malaysian officials, agents, and even the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.

The UN experts urged both countries to protect Bangladeshi workers facing destitution and potential detention, and questioned their bilateral efforts to address the situation through policy changes and investigations.

After 60 days without a response, the UN made the letters public, prompting Malaysia to respond on May 28th, followed by Bangladesh the next day.

In its letter to the UN, the Bangladesh government mentioned that previously, the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia would inspect employer companies to verify the legitimacy of job offers before attesting to job demand letters.

However, this practice was halted at the official request of the Malaysian foreign ministry, who claimed that company inspections fell under their own jurisdiction, according to the letter.

Meanwhile, in its letter to the UN, the Malaysian government said that the country’s Department of Labour has barred 48 employers from hiring foreign workers, including those from Bangladesh.

Nadzirah Osman, Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, stated in the letter that the Department of Labour has facilitated the relocation of 1,664 foreign workers in 2023 and 910 workers so far this year to new employers.

Additionally, Malaysia has temporarily restricted the entry of foreign workers in the formal sector since May 31 to address exploitation and reassess the country's labor needs. Despite this, Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the rights of migrant workers within the country, said the letter.