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Our government has extended assurances to Bangladeshi migrant workers who were arbitrarily repatriated from Malaysia, promising that their legitimate demands will be met. This comes after a delegation of affected workers met with the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister, Ariful Haque Chowdhury. The workers, who faced significant hardship and injustice, are seeking compensation and the return of their passports, which were confiscated by their former employer, Mediceram.

Ibrahim Nahid, a member of the delegation, highlighted their specific grievances, including the confiscation of passports by Mediceram and the imposition of blacklists on them in Malaysia. The workers also expressed their desire for zero-cost migration opportunities should the Malaysian labor market reopen. This situation is particularly dire as around 180 Bangladeshi workers were forcibly sent back between January and March after they ceased working for Mediceram due to the company's failure to renew their work permits. These workers had each spent approximately Tk 6 lakh to go to Malaysia in 2023, only to face irregular or unpaid wages.

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We demanded the return of our passports, confiscated by our former employer Mediceram, and removal of the blacklist imposed on us in Malaysia

The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN), a rights group, noted that while a delegation met the minister, other affected workers staged a silent human chain outside the ministry. The minister pledged to engage the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and relevant Malaysian authorities to investigate the unpaid wages and the blacklisting of these abused victims. He also committed to securing compensation for the affected workers and investigating the recruitment agencies involved. This incident underscores the critical need for stronger protections for our overseas workers and diligent oversight of recruitment processes to prevent such exploitation.

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the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and relevant Malaysian authorities would be engaged to investigate unpaid wages and the blacklisting of abused victims