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Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury briefs journalists
Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Choudhury has announced that the initial flights sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia free of migration costs are expected to take off this December. Speaking at a consultative meeting with representatives of recruiting agencies accredited under the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS) at the Probashi Bhaban auditorium in Eskaton, Dhaka, on Thursday (November 5), the minister stated that the government intends to inaugurate this zero-cost recruitment initiative with two to three pilot flights during the historic "Month of Victory," while standard employment drives against verified demand orders will proceed simultaneously.
Elaborating on the newly drafted recruitment framework, the minister stressed that outgoing workers will not be required to bear any financial burden, as foreign employers and hiring companies will cover all outbound travel and mobilization expenses. To further ease and streamline the overseas deployment procedure, several domestic service charges previously levied on Bangladeshi recruiting agencies have been waived. Addressing long-standing controversies over agency monopolization, Ariful Haque affirmed that the government will not permit the labor market in Malaysia to remain confined to a privileged syndicate. Instead, the ministry is actively restructuring regulations so that all legitimate, licensed recruiting agencies across the country obtain fair business opportunities, with a revised bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expected to be concluded with Malaysian authorities by December 31.
Under the upcoming compliance mechanism, foreign employer demand letters must be submitted through online portals and certified directly by Malaysia's Ministry of Human Resources. In addition, local recruiting agencies must submit formal commitments to the ministry guaranteeing confirmed employment and designated working terms before dispatching candidates. To ensure post-arrival protection, dedicated support cells will be established in key destination countries—including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia—to resolve labor grievances and safeguard workers from harassment. The minister also officially capped the medical examination fee for Malaysia-bound job seekers at Tk 8,000, issuing a stern warning that any diagnostic center or agency found overcharging will face immediate license revocation and legal proceedings. Urging recruiting agency owners to elevate the industry's dignity and prioritize national remittances over narrow profiteering, he advised them to educate outbound workers on host-country legislation and discourage irresponsible social media behavior that could damage overseas employment avenues. The session was attended by State Minister for Expatriate Welfare Md. Nurul Haque, Gazipur-5 Member of Parliament A.K.M. Fazlul Haque Milon, senior ministry officials, and agency leaders.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/national/1f1d93cc-3731-63c0-afa5-f3dbd14630c5