General members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) formed a human chain in front of the Probashi Kalyan Bhaban in Eskaton Garden on Thursday, demanding the reopening of labour markets including Malaysia.

The programme was followed by the submission of a memorandum to the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser.

Speakers at the human chain urged the government to take immediate steps to meet all the conditions set by the Malaysian authorities and reopen the labour market.

In the memorandum, the BAIRA members said labour markets currently closed should be reopened giving priority to the interests of migrant workers and ensuring safe migration at low costs.

‘In the greater interest of the nation and migrant workers, we pledge to fully support any government initiative to open labour markets and to follow all official procedures in recruiting workers, it reads.

Speakers said BAIRA members facilitate overseas employment for over one million workers each year, contributing nearly $24 billion in remittance and playing a vital role in the country’s economy.

They said Malaysia is the second-largest labour market for Bangladeshi workers after Saudi Arabia.

However, recruitment from all source countries has remained suspended since May 31, 2024, due to Malaysia’s internal policies.

They also pointed out that other labour destinations like the UAE, Oman and Qatar remain closed or allow only limited worker intake.

In this context, they demanded embassy-level reports on the reasons behind such closures and recommendations for reopening the markets.

The memorandum also noted that Malaysia has recently resumed recruitment from 14 source countries, and a final decision regarding Bangladesh is expected following the upcoming Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting scheduled for May 21.

Speakers expressed concern over attempts by a section of BAIRA, officials, who allegedly oppose the reopening of the Malaysian labour market.

Despite existing legal and formal frameworks, they continue to spread allegations of human trafficking and money laundering, potentially harming bilateral efforts and delaying the market’s reopening, they said.

The demand to abolish the syndicate system and keep the manpower export to Malaysia open for all legitimate recruiting agencies is now being discussed in all circles. If manpower is exported to Malaysia in an open manner, no one will have to pay extra money. This will reduce the cost of going to Malaysia. Anarchy, irregularities, corruption and money laundering in manpower export will be stopped.