DHAKA, July 4, 2024 (BSS) - State Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury today directed the local recruiting agents concerned to return within 15 days the money of the workers who could not go to Malaysia due to mismanagement.   

“On Wednesday, we sat with BIRA (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies). We reached to a consensus that the money will be returned by July 18 to those workers who could not go to Malaysia,” he said.   

The state minister disclosed this while talking to reporters on contemporary issues regarding Malaysia at the conference room of his ministry, a press release said.

He said that 100 recruiting agencies will take the responsibility for refunding the workers and BAIRA will oversee the reimbursement of affected workers from all recruiting agencies involved in the recruitment process.

“If any recruiting agency does not cooperate to refund the money of the affected workers, BAIRA will inform the ministry to take necessary legal action in this regard,” he added.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) approved sending 493,729 workers as of May 31, he said, adding that 4,76,952 workers went to Malaysia.

However, 17,777 workers failed to reach Malaysia by the deadline (May 31)," he said.

Shofiqur said that a working group meeting will be held with Malaysia at the end of this month.

“We will discuss our issues with them. Hopefully, Malaysia's labor market will open soon. Once the market opens again, priority will be given to those who could not go,” he added.