47,809 Bangladeshis flew to Malaysia in May – highest since labour market reopened in 2022

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Malaysia hired the highest number of workers from Bangladesh last month since reopening its labour market in 2022, even though recruiting agencies failed to send around 17,000 others who were ready to fly to the Southeast Asian country before the 31 May deadline.

In May, 47,809 Bangladeshis flew to Kuala Lumpur for overseas employment, according to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET).

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of a large amount of money from Malaysia-bound workers.

In a separate development, Bangladesh has clarified its stance to UN experts regarding the issue of higher charges faced by Malaysia-bound workers, attributing it to the involvement of middlemen in both countries.

According to BMET data, Bangladesh sent 131,691 workers abroad in May, marking the second-highest number in a single month in the history of labour migration since 1976.

It could be a record high in single month overseas employment by surpassing the previous 1.38 lakh workers in August if all the migrant aspirants to Malaysia succeed, but that has not happened as the syndicate of agencies failed to provide tickets on time.

However, the labour recruiters are worried that the high number of foreign jobs may decline in June as Malaysia has already closed its door for Bangladeshi workers.

Besides, the Maldives, another regular destination for Bangladeshi workers, closed its doors last month.

Oman has decided to issue visas after a six-month suspension that is mainly for skilled and professional categories. So, still, there is no hope for low-skilled job holders, who are the main migrants in the Middle Eastern destination.

"No market is steady, so we can't control it. It basically depends on the destination country. They keep the market open if they have a demand for workers," Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agency (Baira), told The Business Standard.

"But we must advocate from our side to keep the market open," he said. "Now we need to understand why other markets, including Malaysia, are closed. We have to identify the reasons and work to reopen them."

"The government and Baira must work together to ensure that those who are going abroad are getting jobs and can do so at a low cost," he added.

BMET data shows that the flow of overseas jobs last month increased by 54% compared to April and by 29.67% compared to May last year. Additionally, expatriates sent $2.25 billion in remittances in May this year, a 32% increase from $1.69 billion in the same month last year, according to central bank data.

Despite the increase in expatriates going abroad, remittance growth remains low, typically spiking around festivals like Eid. Experts attribute this slow growth to the hundi market offering Tk2-3 more per dollar than official channels.

Like previous months, Saudi Arabia recruited the highest number of workers in May, primarily in low-skilled roles such as construction workers, cleaners, and housemaids, according to labour recruiters.

Malaysia hired the second-highest number of workers, predominantly in the manufacturing, plantation, construction, and service sectors, with a minimum salary range of Tk35,000, which is five to ten thousand more than Saudi Arabia.

After Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, and Kuwait were the top destinations. Some attractive destinations like Croatia, Romania, the UK, Italy, and South Korea have also recruited several hundred workers from Bangladesh in recent months.

NHRC orders probe into alleged embezzlement of Tk150cr  

The commission has ordered the authorities concerned to immediately launch an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of over Tk150 crore from nearly 30,000 Bangladeshis bound for Malaysia.

The commission initiated a suo moto complaint regarding the distress caused to workers who failed to depart as the deadline expired on 31 May.

In the suo moto complaint, the NHRC also ordered the identification of organisations and individuals responsible for the delays that prevented a large number of workers from timely departure to Malaysia, despite having visas and clearances.

The commission has instructed the authorities concerned to take legal action against those responsible for this situation and to ensure that workers with visas can be sent to Malaysia.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment has been directed to take immediate measures and submit a report to the commission by 10 July.

Bangladesh clears its position regarding UN experts concern 

The Bangladesh government has clarified its stance on the issue of higher charges faced by Malaysia-bound workers, saying migration costs have sometimes escalated due to the engagement of unlicensed sub-agents (middlemen) in both countries.

The Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva conveyed this information in a letter sent to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 29 May, responding to a letter dated 28 March from four UN experts.

The letter also outlined several measures aimed at curbing the exploitation and abuse of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia. This communication was made public by the Office of the Human Rights Commission on 2 June.