Published : 12 Nov 2026, 11:38 AM
Updated : 12 Nov 2026, 11:38 AM
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has taken an initiative to send 10,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia under a government-managed programme at zero migration cost.
As part of the first phase of the initiative, the final selection process has begun to recruit 112 male workers for Malaysia-based company DHL Supply Chain (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
The information was disclosed by Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) Managing Director Mohammad Rashedul Haque at a press briefing held in Dhaka on Thursday.
In his written statement, he said: “Malaysia is Bangladesh’s second-largest labour market. Subject to receiving demand letters, the initiative to send these 10,000 workers entirely free of cost will be implemented through BOESL.”
Responding to questions from journalists, the BOESL managing director said the organisation had so far received 568 demand letters against the target of 10,000 workers.
The process of sending the workers will begin in phases, subject to attestation of the demand letters by the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, he added.
Explaining the recruitment process for the first phase, Rashedul Haque said the company sent its demand letter on Nov 2, following which a recruitment notice was published online on Nov 5. A total of 4,029 applications were submitted between Nov 6 and 8.
To ensure transparency and equal opportunities, 300 candidates were initially shortlisted for two positions through an online automated system on Nov 8. Of them, 200 were selected for the post of Operations Assistant and 100 for Technical Skill Worker.
Rashedul said a nine-member delegation from Malaysia had arrived in Dhaka to select the final 112 candidates from among the 300 initially shortlisted.
The delegation will conduct practical exams and interviews over four days, from Thursday until Nov 15, to make the final selection.
The press conference was told that BOESL would not interfere in the selection process to ensure transparency, and candidates chosen by the employer would be considered final.
The BOESL managing director also assured that the same automated selection process, without any form of manual handling, would be followed for recruitment by other companies in the future.
Asked about recruitment costs, he said, “All government-prescribed expenses related to the workers’ migration will be borne by the recruiting company in Malaysia. BOESL will not charge the selected workers or the recruiting organisation any migration costs or service fees for employment in Malaysia. In other words, zero means zero.”
Issuing a stern warning against financial transactions, Rashedul Haque said three people had been arrested and sentenced by a mobile court following a recent raid at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre (BKTTC) over allegations of irregularities.
He said, “If evidence is found that anyone from his office, or any broker or middleman, has taken even a single taka under this zero-migration-cost initiative, exemplary legal action will be taken against all those involved.”
Candidates have been urged to refrain from making any financial transactions with brokers or unauthorised individuals, he added.
He said one of the key objectives of the initiative was to ensure that no qualified and able-bodied person is deprived of overseas employment opportunities due to a lack of money.
