The Malaysian government has assured that illegal Bangladeshi workers in that country will not be deported "till a settlement for their repatriation is reached". State Minister for Labour and Manpower M A Mannan said here yesterday.

The government will make arrangements for repatriation of all Illegal Bangladeshi workers from Malaysia, once the Malaysian authorities gfve. their exact number, the State Minister told The Daily Star. The number will be available by February 7, he said.

"We have no knowledge about the number of Bangladeshi workers staying there without valid documents. We have been assured that they would not be deported till a settlement about repatriation is reached." he said.

There are about 1200 Bangladeshi workers in detention camps in Malaysia, he added.

Referring to repatriation of some 25.000 Bangladeshi workers from the United Arab Emirates few months back, the state minister said, that the government had arranged special flights to bring them back home.

If not arrested or penalized fog, offences-other th'a;: Kigali - ■ stay, all Bangladeshis, having ‘ no valid documents would be brought back home "to pave the way for fresh export of manpower to Malaysia," Mannan said.

"We can't afford to sympathize with the illegal migrants at the cost of suspension of fresh manpower export to that country through legal proce-

dures," he added.

He said that some Bangladeshi workers returned home during the one-month extension of the amnesty offered by the Malaysian government. He. however, could not give the number of the returnees.

The amnesty expired on Friday last. According to news agencies reports. Malaysia will deport one million illegal migrants from that country soon.

The State Minister told this correspondent that a four-। member delegation comprising । the Manpower Secretary, one , joint secretary each from the i Foreign Ministry and the Ho^ne ; Ministry and Managing Director of BOESL ( Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited ) reached Malaysia yesterday for talks with the authorities there on illegal mi-grants and fresh recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.

"We hope that a fresh re-I cruitment deal will be reached. " , he said.

MA Mannan explained that in the past, some people took advantage of tourist visas to fly to Singapore and Bangkok, from where they sneaked into Malaysia for Jobs. An investigation into the matter is on. he added.