Migrant group demands binding labour deal with Malaysia
The Migrant Welfare Network has urged the government to immediately negotiate a binding bilateral labour agreement with Malaysia and to publicly outline the recruitment process for Bangladeshi workers if the Malaysian labour market reopens.
The network warned it would launch a peaceful protest programme if the government failed to provide a clear explanation of the recruitment process by Tuesday, 21 July 2026.
The demands were made in an open letter to the Prime Minister's Office, submitted on behalf of migrant-worker members and co-endorsing organisations.
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Addressed to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the letter called for urgent reforms to the Bangladesh–Malaysia migration corridor and for the establishment of an ethical and transparent recruitment system.
The Migrant Welfare Network said it had documented allegations of excessive recruitment fees, debt bondage, unpaid wages, passport confiscation, inadequate housing, contract substitution, and barriers to justice affecting Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.
The network said it had raised these issues with relevant authorities in both Bangladesh and Malaysia, and submitted petitions for affected workers. It noted that an earlier open letter sent to the prime minister on 17 June 2026 had not yet received a concrete response.
The network argued that existing protection mechanisms in Bangladesh and Malaysia have failed to adequately safeguard migrant workers and their families.
The letter referenced public statements from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation, and the International Organisation for Migration on alleged exploitation, trafficking, and forced labour involving Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.
According to the network, the latest letter followed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to Malaysia on 22 June and an announcement by the expatriates' welfare minister on 6 July that the Malaysian labour market was expected to reopen.
The organisation said workers have a right to know which agencies and employers will participate, how selection will take place, and what safeguards will be implemented to prevent excessive fees and exploitation.
The letter outlined three key demands:
- Immediate negotiation of a legally binding bilateral labour agreement between Bangladesh and Malaysia to replace the current memorandum of understanding, with enforceable standards for recruitment, wage protection, dispute resolution, and compliance;
- Establishment of a transparent and ethical recruitment system under which employers, not workers, bear most legitimate recruitment costs; and
- Immediate government action, including a meeting with Migrant Welfare Network representatives and affected workers.
The network said it remains committed to constructive dialogue and reforms to protect workers' rights and dignity, while promoting lower-cost migration, remittance growth, skills development, and reintegration.
