HC asks govt to prioritise 17,777 stranded workers under Malaysia zero-cost scheme
The court wants stranded visa holders to be considered for the new recruitment initiative.
The High Court today (31 August) asked the government to consider prioritising 17,777 Bangladeshi workers who obtained Malaysian visas in 2024 but were unable to travel under its new zero-cost scheme to send 10,000 workers to Malaysia.
The High Court bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan passed the order following a hearing on a writ petition filed over allegations of corruption, irregularities and mismanagement in sending workers to Malaysia in 2024.
Lawyer Tanvir Ahmed, appearing for the petitioner, said the concerned ministry submitted a compliance report to the court today detailing various steps taken by the government regarding the recruitment and migration of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia.
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The report also informed the court about administrative and legal measures taken against recruiting agencies identified as having failed to send workers and being involved in irregularities, he said.
During the hearing, the government-appointed lawyer informed the court that the government was taking a new initiative to send 10,000 workers to Malaysia without any cost to the workers.
The court was then informed that an investigation committee had identified 17,777 workers who had obtained Malaysian visas but could not travel to the country. The workers suffered financial and mental distress as a result.
The court also kept the case in abeyance for four months and directed the government to submit another compliance report after taking its next steps, said lawyer Tanvir Ahmed.
