During the recent visit of Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Malaysia, labour migration was a key focus of the high-level discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The talks covered increasing the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, reopening Malaysia''s labour market without delay, regularising the status of undocumented workers, and the possible repatriation of detained Bangladeshi nationals. Both sides agreed that the worker recruitment process should be transparent, fair, and less costly, reducing the influence of intermediaries and ensuring that workers receive the real benefits.
At the same time, the Malaysian Prime Minister publicly acknowledged that the labour recruitment system is plagued by exploitation, a lack of transparency, and humanitarian concerns, and that both countries must play an active role in addressing these issues.
The most significant outcome of the meeting was the decision to convene a Joint Working Group meeting and draft a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure safe and regular migration for Bangladeshi workers. However, the effectiveness of this progress will depend on whether these commitments are translated into concrete worker-friendly reforms.
The question, however, is whether we should simply celebrate the opportunity to send more workers abroad, or instead learn from past experience and strive to build a fair and sustainable labour migration framework. Bangladesh's history with Malaysia's labour market is not only one of success; it is also a history of irregularities, exploitation, human rights violations, and the pervasive influence of recruitment middlemen.
Uncomfortable reality behind inflated expectations
Before the prime minister''s visit to Malaysia, a large section of the Bangladeshi media, including several newspapers, television channels, and online news portals, created the impression that the visit''s primary achievement would be the swift reopening of Malaysia's labour market. Several reports presented this outcome as virtually certain.
At the same time, statements from some senior government officials further heightened those expectations, suggesting that the decision to reopen the labour market had already been made and that only a formal announcement remained. As a result, workers, their families, and other stakeholders became overly optimistic. In reality, however, the visit's principal outcome was not the immediate reopening of the labour market but rather a policy-level consensus on making the labour migration system more transparent, fair, and sustainable.
This is where the shortcomings of both media coverage and official communication become apparent. Although public attention centered on the prospect of the market reopening, there was little discussion of the structural problems within the labour migration system, namely recruitment syndicates, opaque hiring practices, and excessive migration costs. There was also very little examination of why Malaysia had repeatedly suspended worker recruitment in the past or why many migrant workers, despite paying exorbitant fees, failed to obtain the jobs and protections they had been promised.
The public debate focused on whether the labour market was reopening, when the more important questions were what kind of labour market was reopening, under what conditions, at what cost, and with what degree of transparency. From a policy perspective it is misleading to ignore these questions and portray the reopening of the labour market as a success in itself.
The reality
The reality is that the history of Bangladesh–Malaysia labour migration cannot be resolved through a single official visit. Over the past decade, Malaysia's labour market has been closed or suspended several times, while allegations have repeatedly surfaced over recruitment syndicates and the dominance of a limited number of recruiting agencies. Many workers have spent several hundred thousand taka to migrate, only to find that the jobs they were promised did not exist. Others have been forced to work for lower wages than agreed, become undocumented, or endure inhumane working conditions.
Unfortunately, a section of the media has obscured these realities by prioritising headline-driven enthusiasm. Likewise, some official statements raised expectations beyond what the facts justified. Responsible public communication, however, should clearly explain not only the opportunities but also the conditions and risks involved. While reopening the labour market is important, if it is pursued without reforms and protections for workers, it merely reinforces a "politics of expectations."
This is why Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's remarks condemning the exploitation of migrant workers and irregularities in the recruitment system were more than just diplomatic rhetoric. They represented an acknowledgment of deep structural problems. In fact, the most important message of the visit was not the reopening of the labour market itself, but the need to make the labour migration system more transparent, equitable, and worker-centered. Ultimately, the central question is not simply whether the labour market is reopening, but what kind of labour market is being created and to what extent workers' rights, safety, and dignity will be protected.
Profits of recruitment brokers: Where is the worker's share?
The most fundamental question surrounding labour migration to Malaysia is this: Who is the real beneficiary of the system—the workers or the intermediaries?
Over the past few years, the controversy surrounding recruitment syndicates has made it clear that labour migration between Bangladesh and Malaysia is not merely a labour market; it is also a tightly controlled, high-value commercial enterprise. When recruitment is concentrated in the hands of a small group of agencies, competition declines, migration costs rise, and transparency is reduced. The system is then governed not by policy or openness but by influence and control, where commercial profit—not the welfare of workers—becomes the overriding concern.
As a result, migrant workers increasingly become commodities within the system. To secure employment abroad, they are often forced to bear excessive migration costs, frequently taking on substantial debt. The first several years of their employment are then spent simply repaying those loans, leaving little opportunity to save money or improve their economic circumstances. Consequently, the true financial benefits of migration are significantly diminished.
Against this backdrop, the real test of the proposed new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be whether it can make the recruitment process more open, competitive, and digitalised. Without genuine transparency, even if Malaysia reopens its labour market, the old system will simply re-emerge: the benefits will once again be concentrated in the hands of a small group of intermediaries rather than workers, and the cycle of exploitation will remain unchanged.
Protecting workers is as important as sending them abroad
One of the most significant aspects of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's remarks was that he did not view migrant workers merely as economic assets. Instead, he expressed concern for their human dignity and rights. This perspective carries an important message for policymakers in Bangladesh as well.
In Bangladesh, discussions on migration policy often describe migrant workers as "remittance warriors." Yet comparatively little attention is paid to their rights. Modern labour migration policy, however, should be based on the principle of rights-based migration. For many years, Bangladeshi policymakers have tended to focus on indicators such as the number of workers sent abroad and the volume of remittances received. By contrast, issues such as workers' conditions of employment, legal protections, social security, and human dignity have received far less attention.
If the new MoU succeeds in making the recruitment system more transparent, reducing the influence of recruitment brokers, controlling workers' migration costs, and expanding opportunities for protecting workers' rights and developing their skills, it could become an important milestone
The rights of workers should be at the center of any new labour agreement. Such agreements should clearly include provisions on minimum wages, working hours, housing, healthcare, a prohibition on employers confiscating workers' passports, and effective mechanisms for resolving grievances. At the same time, it is essential to strengthen legal assistance and consular services available to migrant workers.
Any new agreement with Malaysia should guarantee minimum wages, regulated working hours, safe accommodation, access to healthcare, protection against workplace discrimination, and prompt mechanisms for resolving complaints. In addition, the capacity of the Bangladesh High Commission and its Labour Wing in Malaysia should be strengthened so that Bangladeshi workers can receive meaningful assistance when they need it.
Undocumented workers: A symptom of policy failure
The issue of regularising undocumented Bangladeshi workers was discussed during the bilateral meeting, and it is an important one. However, it should not be viewed solely as a humanitarian concern. Rather, it reflects the weaknesses of the existing labour migration system. When a worker migrates through legal channels but later becomes undocumented, the underlying causes often include flaws in the recruitment system, inadequate information, breaches of contract, or the loss of employment. Therefore, while regularization is necessary, it is not a permanent solution to the problem.
A large number of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia have become undocumented for various reasons. Some have remained after their visas expired, others have been victims of fraudulent employers, and still others have lost their jobs and found themselves in precarious circumstances.
Although many of these workers continue to contribute to Malaysia''s economy, they are denied legal protections. For that reason, regularisation is not merely a humanitarian measure, it also makes economic sense.
Once granted legal status, migrant workers can become part of the formal economy, pay taxes, and face a lower risk of exploitation. Bangladesh, in turn, would benefit from more stable and regular remittance flows. However, regularization should not be regarded as a one-time solution.
The most important step is to eliminate the flaws in the recruitment system that produce new undocumented workers in the first place. The real solution is to establish a framework that guarantees fair working conditions, enforces employment contracts, and holds employers accountable. Otherwise, once a regularisation program ends, the same problems will inevitably recur.
No future for the labour market without skills development
A large proportion of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia are still employed in low-skilled or semi-skilled occupations. As a result, their earnings remain limited and their competitiveness in the labour market is weak. At the same time, demand is increasing for skilled workers in technology-driven industries, construction, services, and advanced manufacturing.
Malaysia, like many other countries, is increasingly seeking skilled workers for technology-intensive industries, modern manufacturing, and specialised service sectors. To keep pace with these changes, Bangladesh must rethink its labour migration strategy. The priority should not simply be to send more workers abroad, but to send more skilled workers.
Accordingly, the opportunity presented by a reopened labour market should not be evaluated solely in terms of higher recruitment numbers.
Bangladesh needs to invest more in vocational training, skills development, language instruction, digital competencies, and internationally recognised technical education. Skilled workers not only earn higher incomes but also face fewer risks and are able to send more remittances home. Skills development, therefore, should become a central pillar of Bangladesh''s labour migration policy.
New MoU: Opportunity for institutional reform
Although negotiations on a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bangladesh and Malaysia are a positive development, past experience shows that agreements on paper alone do not produce the desired results. Implementation remains the greatest challenge.
For this reason, the new agreement should require every stage of the recruitment process to be conducted through digital platforms, establish a ceiling on recruitment costs, create a joint monitoring mechanism, and include an independent system for resolving complaints. At the same time, civil society organisations, labour rights groups, and research institutions should be involved to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the system.
The MoU should not be viewed merely as an administrative document, but as an opportunity for structural reform of the labour migration system. Its success should be measured not by the number of workers sent abroad, but by its ability to improve workers' safety, reduce migration costs, and guarantee decent working conditions.
Ultimately, Bangladesh should move away from measuring success solely by the number of workers it sends overseas and instead prioritise policies centered on protecting migrant workers. The emphasis on transparency, regularisation, and worker protection during the Prime Minister''s recent visit to Malaysia is an encouraging sign. However, unless these commitments are translated into concrete institutional reforms, the progress will not be sustainable.
If the new MoU succeeds in making the recruitment system more transparent, reducing the influence of recruitment brokers, controlling workers' migration costs, and expanding opportunities for protecting workers' rights and developing their skills, it could become an important milestone. Otherwise, the failures of the past are likely to return in a new form.
* Dr. Selim Reza is Associate Professor and Coordinator, Center for Migration Studies, North South University
* The views expressed here are those of the author.
* This article appeared in Prothom Alo print and online and has been translated by Ayesha Kabir for Prothom Alo English Online
