Malaysia and Bangladesh to discuss reopening labour market on May 15

Talks aim to resume recruitment of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia, with over a million jobs in sight.

Malaysia and Bangladesh are set to hold an advisory-level meeting on 15 May 2025 to discuss the potential reopening of the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers.

According to Bangladeshi daily The Daily Observer, the high-level visit will include Asif Nazrul and Dr Neamat Ullah Bhuiyan, Senior Secretary from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment. Their discussions with Malaysian authorities will take place the day after their arrival on 14 May.

Optimism amid cautious diplomacy

Officials have signalled cautious optimism. Speaking to The Daily Observer, Md Sarwar Alam, Deputy Secretary of the ministry said: "We will discuss the reopening of the labour market with them. Any such agreement must be based on the laws and regulations of both countries."

He added that Bangladesh would listen to Malaysia’s expectations as a receiving country and present its case as a sending nation. A Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on 21 May will serve as a follow-up to review the outcomes and explore concrete steps forward.

“We are highly optimistic. [We] hope to bring back good news about the labour market from this visit,” Md Sarwar Alam noted.

As reported by The Daily Observer, ordinary members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) have welcomed this development and expressed their gratitude to the Advisor and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment for reinitiating the negotiations.

A welcome development amid rising demand

BAIRA members have urged an end to the ongoing wave of internal lawsuits among recruiting agencies, calling it a "toxic habit" that is severely damaging Bangladesh’s labour market reputation. These legal disputes intensified after internal conflicts within BAIRA commonly referred to as the “July revolution” and have since involved misleading the government and even triggering suo moto cases from government bodies.

This comes at a critical time, as Malaysia plans to recruit about 1.2mn foreign workers over the next six years. This is a significant opportunity for Bangladeshi workers, who can earn nearly twice as much as they would in many Middle Eastern countries.

The upcoming JWA meeting on 21–22 May in Dhaka is seen as a key moment to finalise the plan for sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia. Stakeholders urge all parties to remain cooperative and support the interim government to ensure the success of these efforts.