Published : 05 Nov 2026, 11:57 PM
Updated : 05 Nov 2026, 11:57 PM
Expatriates' Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has shared hopes to resume sending workers to Malaysia in December, with the first few flights expected to carry workers free of charge.
The minister spoke at a meeting with recruiting agents registered under Malaysia's Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Eskaton on Thursday. The ministry shared the details in a statement.
"We want workers to begin their journey in December, the month of victory. We hope the first two or three flights will carry workers at no cost," he said.
The initial workers will be sent through Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), the state-run recruitment agency, which also published a recruitment notice.
Ariful said the government would waive all service charges and was considering an online application process, followed by a lottery to select workers.
At the meeting, recruiting agents proposed that migration costs for workers recruited privately should be capped at Tk 250,000 to Tk 300,000.
Welcoming the proposal, the minister said it would benefit ordinary people.
He also said the government wanted to ensure that all legally registered recruiting agencies had equal opportunities, rather than allowing the business to remain concentrated among a few agencies.
He expressed hope that a new Memorandum of Understanding with Malaysia would be signed by December.
Ariful said the government was also planning to establish dedicated support cells in countries including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to help workers resolve problems after going abroad.
He said the medical examination fee for Malaysia-bound workers had been fixed at Tk 8,000. Agencies found charging more could face licence cancellation and legal action.
State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque also urged officials to prevent workers from suffering because of negligence or irregularities by recruiting agencies.
