An investigation committee will be established to probe the distress faced by migrants heading to Malaysia, with measures to be taken against those responsible, announced Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, the state minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
“Legal actions will be taken against those found guilty,” Chowdhury stated during an interview with a private television channel on 1 June.
The state minister emphasized, “We had asked the agencies to provide a list of those going to Malaysia by 15 April, but they failed to give any list.”
He reassured that the government is committed to addressing issues of workers’ harassment. “If we receive a complaint, we will hold those responsible accountable and take action,” he added.
Chowdhury noted that the ministry had previously written to postpone the workers’ joining dates to their workplaces in Malaysia but has yet to receive a reply. “However, we are trying through our embassy,” he mentioned.
Thousands of aspiring migrant workers have faced uncertainty and distress as they tried to reach Malaysia before the 31 May deadline set by authorities in the destination country. This chaos has been attributed to mismanagement and dubious dealings by a syndicate of recruiting agencies.
Sector insiders indicate that the deadline has left over 10,000 aspiring migrants still waiting for flights. Many have been unable to secure tickets due to delays caused by recruiting agencies.
Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary-general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), estimates that between 10,000 and 15,000 workers could not fly as of 30 May.
The situation has been exacerbated by the issuance of fake demand letters, leaving some workers stranded as their prospective employers face blacklisting by Malaysian authorities for corruption.
Additionally, airfare prices on Dhaka-Malaysia routes have surged to four times their regular rates, with workers now forced to pay over Tk1 lakh per ticket, compared to Tk30,000-40,000 six months ago.
