Despite having valid visas and necessary documents for employment in Malaysia, thousands of Bangladeshi workers who could not make the journey are likely to get a chance to go there.
Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Shamim Ahsan gave an assurance that the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is actively working to facilitate the travel of those left behind.
“The High Commission will continue its efforts to bring the workers who could not travel despite having visas, ensuring they are able to come to Malaysia as soon as possible,” said the High Commissioner.
The recent decision taken by the Malaysian government to close its doors to Bangladeshi workers from June 1 this year has caused a crisis of air tickets which has left approximately 31,500 workers stranded in the country.
Workers who could not make their journey have blamed the negligence of recruiting agencies for their plight, alleging that although visas and documents were provided, the promised flight tickets were not issued despite additional fees being collected for them.
Workers said that the cost per person set by the government is Tk 79,000, yet most workers have been compelled to pay between Tk 500,000 to Tk 700,000 to secure their passage to Malaysia.
Ultimately, around 31,500 workers remain unable to travel, with agencies having collected substantial amounts for the tickets without delivering them.
State Minister for Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury during a views exchange in Sylhet said that an investigative committee will be formed to probe the circumstances that led to this issue. Punitive action will be taken against those responsible for this crisis.
He blamed the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) for their role in the debacle,noting that although the government had coordinated to fulfill a quota of over 500,000 workers to Malaysia, BAIRA failed to provide the necessary visa information, resulting in flight arrangement issues.
To address the situation, the government has made extensive efforts, including organizing 22 special flights to facilitate the travel of the stranded workers. Additionally, a formal request has been sent to the Malaysian government to extend the travel deadline, though no response has been received yet.
