Malaysia has expressed interest in recruiting approximately two lakh Bangladeshi workers over the next six months, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam announced on Sunday.
Briefing journalists at the Secretariat after a bilateral meeting, the state minister also revealed that around 10,000 of these workers will have the opportunity to migrate entirely free of cost.
According to Shahe Alam, there are currently eight lakh registered Bangladeshi workers employed in Malaysia.
The process of sending new workers alongside registering undocumented Bangladeshi workers already residing in Malaysia is actively ongoing, with the registration programme expected to commence around the end of September.
The briefing followed a meeting between Local Government, Rural Development and Co‑operatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan and Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mohd Shuhada Othman.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hassan, and senior ministry officials were also present during the discussions.
During the meeting, Moyeen Khan said the government is keen to elevate the existing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia to a newer height.
He emphasised the critical importance of expanding co-operation across various key areas, including manpower export, renewable energy, infrastructure, education, health, and trade.
The Malaysian high commissioner expressed satisfaction with the success of the prime minister of Bangladesh’s recent visit to Malaysia.
Following this, both sides discussed various aspects of bilateral relations in detail, expressing their mutual commitment to transforming the long-standing friendly ties into a more effective economic partnership.
Apart from manpower recruitment, the bilateral talks specifically focused on creating employment opportunities for Bangladeshi engineers in Malaysia, constructing joint-venture hospitals, expanding higher education opportunities for Bangladeshi students, and securing investment in the renewable energy sector.
The two sides also discussed strengthening economic relations through co-operation in the production of sports goods, the import of electric vehicles, the construction sector, and halal food.
