KL labour market to be reopened next month: Minister

Prothom Alo.File Photo
Prothom Alo.File Photo

The Malaysian labour market will be reopened for Bangladeshi workers within the next month, UNB reports quoting expatriates' welfare minister Imran Ahmed on Saturday.

The first phase of the process has already been completed following discussions with Malaysia, he said.

He made the remarks while talking to reporters after paying homage at the mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Gopalganj.

Malaysia, a rich Southeast Asian country, remains a popular destination for Bangladeshi workers. Many still try to go there illegally by paying large sums to unscrupulous middlemen or brokers and agencies.

"My first job would be to catch those who send people overseas illegally. I don't want our countrymen to die during perilous illegal journeys," minister Imran said, describing such deaths as 'murders'.

He urged people to remain alert about brokers and hand over them to police.

The labour migration to Malaysia has remained suspended since last year.

Last week, Malaysian human resources minister M Kulasegaran said Putrajaya is expected to lift a moratorium and resume hiring workers from Bangladesh "within a month or two".

Malaysia suspended the Foreign Worker Application System for Bangladeshi workers, which allowed recruitment under 10 selected agencies, on 1 Sept last year.

The move affected several major industries, especially plantation and construction, reports The Star. Lifting the moratorium is expected to ease labour woes.

During his visit to Kuala Lumpur last week, minister Imran said the new mechanism and process for the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers would be a transparent one.

He estimated that some 400,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently working legally in Malaysia.

They remitted $1,197.63 million in the last fiscal year.