Bangladesh, Malaysia have agreed to establish transparent recruitment system for workers: CA Yunus

Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to collaborate on creating a cleaner and more transparent recruitment process for Bangladeshi workers, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said in an interview with Malaysian news agency Bernama.

The move aims to address existing flaws in the system and ensure mutual benefits for both nations.

According to the Bernama report, Yunus said the matter was discussed in depth during his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya.

He acknowledged the current issues and emphasised the need for a thorough cleanup to facilitate a smoother process. He added that both countries are committed to enhancing the transparency and efficiency of the recruitment system.

The discussions focused on improving the framework to ensure Bangladeshi workers can secure employment in Malaysia with dignity, proper rights and benefits.

Yunus, in the Bernama interview, noted that while Malaysia requires foreign workers, Bangladesh wants its citizens to be recruited in a transparent manner, allowing them to work abroad with respect and appropriate compensation.

When Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim visited Bangladesh in October 2024, labour migration and dismantling recruiting syndicates were focal points of high-level discussions between Anwar and Yunus as well.

Why labour issue in talks

Last year, around 18,000 migrant workers failed to reach Malaysia before the deadline due to mismanagement by government authorities and local recruiting agents as they failed to provide tickets. 

The Malaysian authorities, later, declined to extend the deadline following calls made by the then Bangladeshi government in early June.

A hiring freeze by Malaysia, imposed in June 2024, followed revelations that thousands of Bangladeshi workers were defrauded by syndicates.

Reports surfaced that the syndicate comprising a limited number of Bangladeshi agencies authorised to send workers was linked to significant corruption, with some charging up to Tk6 lakh to send a worker, while the government fixed the cost at Tk79,000 in 2022.

However, after a year-long closure, Malaysia was expected to reopen its labour market to Bangladeshi workers soon following a two-day joint working group meeting between the two countries, which ended in Dhaka on 22 May.

On 15 May 2025, Bloomberg reported that Kuala Lumpur in a letter dated April to the senior secretary of the expatriates' welfare ministry urged Dhaka to drop "unsubstantiated allegations" to help improve Malaysia's standing in the US State Department's annual trafficking-in-persons report.

In early August, Malaysian news portal Malaysiakini reported that Bangladesh had agreed to Malaysian request to halt investigation into claims that a powerful syndicate exploited Bangladeshi migrant workers bound for Malaysia.

Bangladesh's CID has recently submitted its final report on a case against a recruiting agency syndicate accused of exploiting the Malaysian labour market, concluding that none of the accused – the alleged syndicate members, including two former Awami League and one Jatiyo Party lawmakers and family members of former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, were involved in corruption or human trafficking.

Activists have insisted that such labour trafficking abuses must be effectively addressed before resuming recruitment. The call comes after the plight of migrant labourers has recently drawn heightened attention. 

In May 2025, approximately 280 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia filed claims for over $694,000 in unpaid wages after their employer, Kawaguchi Manufacturing, a supplier to Japanese firms, shut down, according to UNB.

Current situation

As of February 2025, Bangladeshi nationals make up the largest group of foreign workers in Malaysia, numbering around 898,970. They contribute to sectors such as construction, manufacturing, plantations and services, according to the Bernama report.

The report said to support ethical and regulated labour cooperation, the Malaysian Home Ministry introduced the Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) facility for Bangladeshi workers effective from 8 August.

It aims to create a more transparent and efficient recruitment system, ensuring Bangladeshi workers can contribute positively to Malaysia's economy while safeguarding their rights and well-being.

In May 2025, Malaysia agreed to hire roughly 8,000 of those previously stranded due to the June 2024 scams. A joint working group convened in Dhaka in May reaffirmed mutual commitment to transparency. 

Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy to Chief Adviser Yunus, stated that workers blocked by the freeze would now be dispatched under a Government-to-Government arrangement via Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), with no room for irregularities.

Adviser Asif Nazrul confirmed in July that Malaysia is likely to recruit 30,000-40,000 Bangladeshi workers in the coming year-far below earlier speculation of over one million. 

He underscored the need to dismantle the "syndicate" model of recruitment that has fostered corruption.