The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has set the migration cost for sending workers from Bangladesh to Malaysia at Tk154,000 this year.
The ministry will publish the final list of approved medical centres for Malaysia-bound workers by next week.
Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury made the announcement while speaking to journalists at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka on Thursday morning.
He said the government-fixed cost for a worker to go to Malaysia through the official channel is Tk 154,000. However, concerned parties are quoting expenses ranging from Tk200,000 to Tk300,000.
He also remarked that workers would not have had to face so much hardship if the costs had remained within the prescribed limit.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) said that a total of 112 male workers will get the opportunity to work in Malaysia free of cost under a recruitment initiative by DHL Supply Chain (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
The recruitment drive is part of the government’s initiative to send 10,000 workers to Malaysia.
Under the programme, BOESL has so far received 568 demand letters from various Malaysian companies. Its Managing Director Mohammad Rashedul Haque disclosed the information at the conference.
He said Malaysia is Bangladesh’s second-largest labour market and that, based on the demand letters received, BOESL plans to send 10,000 workers to the country entirely free of cost.
Referring to the 568 demand letters, he said the recruitment process would begin in phases after the documents are attested by the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.