Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury told parliament that the government is working to reopen Malaysia’s labor market for Bangladeshi workers. Responding to a question on Monday, he said the process is expected to be completed soon. From July 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026, about 933,815 workers have been employed abroad, and the government aims to send 1.4 million workers in the next fiscal year.

The minister said diplomatic discussions are ongoing with Malaysia, Oman, the UAE, and Bahrain to reopen or expand labor markets. Bangladesh currently sends workers to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, Seychelles, and Portugal, and has signed memorandums of understanding with 18 countries. The state minister also reported rising fraud through fake demand letters and said stricter embassy monitoring is needed. He added that licenses of three recruiting agencies were suspended for sending workers to Russia who were later forced into war involvement.

The ministry is also focusing on migrant welfare, including hotline services, safe homes for female workers, and plans to expand collateral-free loans for migrants.