The reopening of Malaysia’s labour market is certainly important. But for Bangladesh, even more important is building a migration framework that does not repeatedly fall into crisis.
What is needed is a new migration vision, one that views migrant workers not merely as a source of foreign exchange earnings, but as a central pillar of the country’s human capital, economic diplomacy, and national development strategy.
The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Malaysia has generated significant expectations both at home and among the Bangladeshi diaspora. The possibility of reopening Malaysia’s labour market after two years of stagnation, regularising undocumented Bangladeshi migrants, addressing longstanding grievances of expatriates, and opening new avenues for economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries all make this visit highly consequential.
For the hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis living in Malaysia, the visit is more than a diplomatic event; it is directly linked to their livelihoods, security, dignity, and future.
Many are hopeful that meaningful progress will be made on long-standing issues, including labour market access, visa complications, limitations in consular services, and the plight of undocumented workers.
The key question, however, is whether Bangladesh will once again be satisfied with the mere announcement of a labour market reopening, or whether this visit will be used as an opportunity to address the structural problems embedded within the country’s migration system.
The reality is that Malaysia’s labour market is not a new story for Bangladesh. The experience of the past two decades shows that the country has been trapped in a recurring cycle of labour market openings and closures.
The market was closed in 2008, reopened in 2016, closed again in 2018, reopened in 2022, and suspended once more in 2024. This history points to a difficult truth: the problem is not simply whether the market is open or closed; the problem lies within the labour migration system itself.
For this reason, the success of the Prime Minister’s visit should not be measured by how many new workers are sent to Malaysia. Rather, genuine success would be reflected in Bangladesh’s ability to move towards establishing a transparent, efficient, humane, and sustainable migration framework.
Time to learn from past mistakes
One of the primary issues on the agenda during the Prime Minister’s visit will undoubtedly be the reopening of Malaysia’s labour market. However, the more important question is under what model and framework the market will reopen.
The history of labour migration between Bangladesh and Malaysia is a story of both opportunity and failure. What began in 1978 with the deployment of only a handful of workers eventually became one of the largest sources of employment for Bangladeshis abroad and a major contributor to the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
At the same time, the market has repeatedly been marred by controversy. Recruitment irregularities, the dominance of a small number of agencies, excessive fees charged to workers, contract violations, allegations of human trafficking, and administrative weaknesses have all contributed to Malaysia’s repeated suspension of labour recruitment from Bangladesh.
The same problems keep resurfacing because Bangladesh tends to treat the reopening of labour markets as an achievement in itself, while paying insufficient attention to the structural reforms necessary to manage those markets effectively. As a result, the root causes remain unresolved.
Bangladesh’s foremost priority during this visit should therefore be to work with Malaysia to establish a migration framework that is free from syndicates, transparent, technology-driven, and accountable.
No sustainable solution without breaking the syndicates
Whenever Malaysia’s labour market is discussed, one word invariably emerges: syndicates.
In the past, once recruitment resumed, a small number of influential recruiting agencies or groups effectively took control of the entire recruitment process. This resulted in excessive charges, false job promises, contract violations, and various forms of exploitation. The cost of migration rose to unsustainable levels.
Many workers sold land, borrowed money at high interest rates, or mortgaged their families’ last remaining assets in order to secure overseas employment. Upon arrival, many spent the first two or three years of their earnings merely repaying debt.
While Malaysia’s own policy considerations contributed to labour market suspensions, Bangladesh’s lack of transparency and weaknesses in recruitment governance also played a major role. Consequently, Bangladesh should take a firm position in current negotiations that no monopolistic recruitment arrangement is acceptable.
The labour market must be made competitive, transparent, and accountable. Bangladesh should pursue discussions with Malaysia on establishing a digital recruitment framework in which worker selection, employment contracts, employer information, visa processing, and recruitment costs are fully transparent and verifiable online.
The cost of migration for every worker should be publicly disclosed, while government authorities should maintain continuous oversight. Direct digital connections among workers, employers, and government agencies can help reduce the role of intermediaries and middlemen.
The future labour market requires skills, not just labour
Perhaps the most important long-term issue that should feature prominently in discussions during the visit is skills development.
For decades, Bangladesh has sent large numbers of workers to Malaysia, but most have been low-skilled or unskilled labourers. As they are typically employed in construction, agriculture, cleaning services, or basic manufacturing, their earnings have remained relatively modest.
The global economy, however, is changing rapidly. Malaysia itself is moving towards a technology-driven economy. The country is expanding investment in semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, renewable energy, data centres, smart manufacturing, robotics, and digital technologies.
In this emerging economy, physical labour alone will no longer be sufficient. Skills will be essential.
Bangladesh must therefore begin preparing now. Demand is expected to rise significantly over the next decade for electrical and mechanical technicians, industrial automation operators, advanced welding specialists, solar energy technicians, semiconductor technicians, IT support personnel, network support workers, smart agriculture specialists, and healthcare support professionals.
If Bangladesh continues to rely on the traditional model of exporting primarily low-skilled workers, it risks falling behind in an increasingly competitive global labour market.
The goal should not simply be to send workers abroad but to ensure that they acquire internationally recognised skills. One major achievement of the Prime Minister’s visit could be the establishment of a Bangladesh-Malaysia joint skills development initiative. Proposals for joint training centres should also be considered.
If training facilities aligned with Malaysia’s industrial needs are established in Bangladesh, workers can be prepared for specific jobs before departure.
Regularising undocumented Bangladeshis: A humanitarian and economic necessity
The issue of undocumented Bangladeshis in Malaysia is not merely a migration concern; it is fundamentally a matter of human dignity.
This should be one of the most important issues discussed during the visit.
Bangladesh must move beyond the politics of numbers and embrace the politics of skills. In tomorrow’s global labour market, success will belong not to the countries that merely export labour, but to those that export skills, knowledge, and technological capability
A large proportion of undocumented Bangladeshis in Malaysia are not involved in criminal activities. Instead, many have fallen into irregular status because of employer fraud, company closures, visa renewal complications, or administrative shortcomings.
Bangladesh should seek discussions with Malaysia on a special regularisation programme that would allow these workers to regain legal status by fulfilling certain conditions or paying prescribed penalties.
Such a measure would not only be humane but also economically beneficial for Malaysia, as many of these workers already contribute significantly to the country’s production and service sectors.
At the same time, measures should be adopted to prevent workers from becoming undocumented in the future. Greater flexibility in changing employers, transferring workplaces, and renewing visas should be part of the broader discussion.
Consular services must Be made more accessible
Bangladeshis are spread across numerous Malaysian states, yet most consular services remain concentrated in Kuala Lumpur. As a result, workers often lose significant amounts of time, money, and productivity simply to access routine services.
For Bangladeshis living in distant regions such as Sabah, Sarawak, Penang, or Johor, travelling to Kuala Lumpur for passport renewal or other services can be expensive and time-consuming.
The Prime Minister’s visit should therefore prioritise the establishment of regional consular service centres, mobile consular services, and comprehensive digital service delivery systems.
The biggest future challenge: Automation and artificial intelligence
Perhaps the greatest reality facing Bangladesh is the rapid transformation of the global labour market.
Artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation are likely to reduce demand for many low-skilled jobs over the next decade. Large segments of construction, manufacturing, and service-sector work are already becoming increasingly technology-driven.
Jobs that currently require thousands of workers may, within a few years, be performed by a few hundred skilled technicians supported by AI systems.
At the same time, countries such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nepal are investing heavily in workforce development. If Bangladesh continues to depend primarily on the traditional model of exporting labour and earning remittances, it will face growing challenges in the future.
The country’s objective should be to send fewer but more highly skilled workers who can generate greater income. In this context, Bangladesh’s new migration vision should focus not on “more workers” but on “more skilled workers.”
Ultimately, the reopening of Malaysia’s labour market is undoubtedly important. Yet for Bangladesh, what matters even more is the creation of a migration framework that is resilient and capable of avoiding repeated crises.
A new migration vision is needed—one that regards migrant workers not merely as sources of foreign exchange earnings but as central components of the nation’s human capital, economic diplomacy, and development strategy.
The Prime Minister’s visit could open a new door for Bangladesh. However, how far the country can advance through that door will depend on how effectively it learns from past mistakes.
Bangladesh must move beyond the politics of numbers and embrace the politics of skills. In tomorrow’s global labour market, success will belong not to the countries that merely export labour, but to those that export skills, knowledge, and technological capability.
* Dr Selim Reza is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Centre for Migration Studies at North South University.
* The views expressed are those of the author.