What are the demands of aspiring migrant workers stuck in the Malaysian migration deadlock?
Thousands remain in limbo, uncertain of when or if they will finally get to leave for Malaysia.
Aspiring migrant workers staged a sit-in at Dhaka's Sonargaon intersection in Karwan Bazar this morning (28 September), paralysing traffic.
They vacated the road at around 12:30pm after a delegation went to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to discuss their plight, allowing traffic in the area to return to normal shortly thereafter, said Sobdullai Mollah, a traffic inspector stationed at the intersection.
Their grievance: they say they completed all procedures to migrate to Malaysia last year but were left stranded due to what they allege was mismanagement by recruiting agents and government authorities.
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What the demonstration is about
Last year, around 18,000 Bangladeshi workers had secured approval to migrate to Malaysia. However, due to delays in ticket issuance and coordination failures, they missed a 31 May 2024 deadline set by Malaysian authorities. Despite Dhaka's requests, Kuala Lumpur did not extend the deadline.
After an August 2024 government change in Bangladesh, Expatriates' Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul said Malaysia had agreed in principle to take in the stranded workers.
Later, a joint technical group was formed, and this January, about 7,964 workers were selected to go there in the first phase. Later, in August, the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that a special quota had been approved, applicable only to these workers, in the construction and traditional sectors.
Yet, months later, thousands remain in limbo, uncertain of when or if they will finally get to leave.
The workers argue that assurances have not translated into action. With no clear timeline, they fear being abandoned despite having invested heavily in the migration process.
For many of these workers, Malaysia represents not just a job but a lifeline for their families. Having paid recruitment costs and waited over a year, they say their frustration is mounting.
Their five demands
- Those whose e-visas were issued before the 31 May deadline but who did not receive BMET clearance, as well as those who completed all procedures, must be sent to Malaysia within a short period of time.
- No worker should be excluded from the process, regardless of whether new interviews are held or not.
- A specific date must be fixed within a short time and a written memorandum must be provided.
- The memorandum must be formally submitted through the chief adviser and the expatriates' welfare adviser.
- If the workers cannot be sent there by the written deadline, the government must immediately arrange alternative employment opportunities for them, along with compensation.
