Malaysia invites Bangladeshi recruiting agencies to apply under new worker deployment rules
Bangladesh received the detailed ‘Recruiting Agent Selection Criteria’ from Malaysia yesterday (28 October)
The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment has said that the Malaysian government has asked Bangladesh to submit a list of private recruiting agencies eligible to send workers to Malaysia under new stringent criteria.
Bangladesh received the detailed 'Recruiting Agent Selection Criteria' from Malaysia yesterday (28 October). Following the 3rd Joint Working Group meeting in Dhaka on 21–22 May 2025, Malaysia had promised to give Bangladeshi agencies equal opportunities and determine the selection criteria for private recruiting agents, similar to agencies from other countries.
In an official letter dated 27 October 2025, Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to submit, by 15 November, a list of licensed Bangladeshi recruiting agencies that meet 10 mandatory criteria set by Malaysia's Ministry of Human Resources.
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The process aims to rationalise the number of agencies allowed to send workers abroad, ensuring ethical and merit-based recruitment practices. Migrant rights campaigners have expressed scepticism, warning that only a few agencies may meet the strict rules.
The 10 selection criteria are:
1. Minimum five years of licensed operation.
2. Proof of sending at least 3,000 workers abroad in the past five years.
3. Experience sending workers to at least three different destination countries.
4. Permanent office of at least 10,000 square feet operational for at least three years.
5. Valid licences and certificates of good conduct.
6. No record of forced labour, human trafficking, labour law violations, extortion, money laundering, financial crimes, or unethical migration practices.
7. Own training and assessment centre with accommodation, technical training, and induction modules.
8. At least five certificates from international employers confirming satisfactory migration operations.
9. Compliance with legal and procedural requirements of overseas recruitment, including Malaysia.
10. Approval by relevant Bangladeshi authorities for training, assessment, recruitment, and overseas employment.
Eligible Bangladeshi recruiting agents have been asked to submit applications with the required documents to the ministry by 7 November this year.
