Bangladesh and Malaysia are working towards restarting recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. On 30 August 2026, a Bangladeshi official announced that Malaysia would hire around 200,000 workers over six months. However, Malaysia’s government spokesperson said two days later that this figure was not an official government position. Malaysia had also agreed in principle to accept 10,000 workers without requiring them to pay migration costs.
The two countries have repeatedly stopped and restarted recruitment over more than three decades. Earlier arrangements faced allegations of excessive fees and unfair treatment of workers. Many workers borrow money to cover the cost of finding a job abroad, leaving them with debts to repay. These problems have raised concerns about whether the new arrangement will offer better protection.
By 30 September 2026, the final recruitment cost, departure dates and full procedure had not been announced. Prospective workers were warned not to pay money, attend medical examinations or hand over passports before receiving formal instructions. Questions about costs and responsibility for recruitment therefore remained central to the planned reopening.
