Efforts to restart recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia have been complicated by conflicting official statements. On 30 August 2026, a Bangladeshi minister announced that Malaysia would recruit approximately 200,000 workers within six months. Two days later, Malaysia’s government spokesperson clarified that the figure did not represent an official government position. Separately, Malaysia had agreed in principle to accept 10,000 workers without requiring them to bear migration costs.
The proposed reopening follows more than three decades of recruitment suspensions and resumptions, accompanied by allegations of excessive fees and worker exploitation. A government-to-government programme introduced in 2012 substantially reduced migration costs but struggled to meet recruitment targets. Under its 2016 successor, only 10 Bangladeshi agencies were selected. Although agreed costs were around BDT 37,000–40,000, subsequent reports put workers’ average payments at BDT 300,000–400,000. Recruitment was suspended in 2018 and, after resuming, again in June 2024. Research by the non-profit organisation Verité found that surveyed workers paid about USD 5,000 on average in recruitment-related costs; 73 per cent devoted at least half their monthly salary to recruitment debt.
By 30 September 2026, Bangladesh had begun certifying job-demand letters, but final recruitment costs, departure schedules and procedures remained unannounced. Prospective workers were instructed not to make payments, undergo medical examinations or surrender passports before formal guidance was issued. The unresolved arrangements have renewed questions about recruitment oversight, financial accountability and whether workers will receive effective protection from the abuses associated with earlier recruitment cycles.
