We are concerned by the news that a syndicate of recruitment agencies that once exploited Bangladeshi workers migrating to Malaysia—before its labour market was closed to them in May 2024—is allegedly becoming active again. This comes as Bangladesh is about to engage in a series of talks with Malaysia as the latter prepares to begin fresh recruitments. If the syndicate is allowed to form and take control of recruitment again when the market is reopened, it may leave workers exposed to the same cycle of exploitation and suffering they endured before. Prior to the 2024 market closure, there were frequent reports of irregularities, including exorbitant migration fees, with each worker having to pay as much as Tk 5.5 lakh even though the government-mandated ceiling was just Tk 78,990.

At the heart of the crisis is our long-standing failure to ensure transparency and accountability in the recruitment process. Previously, syndicates, enabled by political influence and administrative complicity, often monopolised access to the Malaysian labour market, sidelining more capable and ethical recruiting agencies. Over the years, many workers have fallen prey to such syndicates from both countries as well as exploitative employers that profited at their expense. There have been many cases of workers being defrauded, left jobless, unpaid or underpaid, and burdened with debt. According to official data, 898,970 Bangladeshis are currently working in Malaysia. There is no record of the undocumented workers, however, with one migrant rights activist estimating that around one or two lakh Bangladeshi workers remained jobless in Malaysia last year.

Therefore, besides ensuring that no cartel is formed to exploit aspiring workers and monopolise the migration process again, a key priority for the government should be to get the Malaysian authorities to consider our undocumented workers in their recruitment plans. We must remember that these people often become undocumented through no fault of their own. Often, it is because their employers fail to renew their visas, or they cannot get their passports renewed on time. And then there are the fraudulent companies enticing them with the promise of jobs. Reportedly, Bangladesh is prioritising the recruitment of the nearly 18,000 who were scheduled to fly to Malaysia by May 2024 but failed either due to ticket shortages or because their employers were blacklisted. This issue must be addressed. Equally importantly, it is vital that both governments act decisively to prevent all irregularities in labour migration before fresh hires are started.