Malaysia's labor market is reopening once again, with authorities in Kuala Lumpur having agreed in principle to accept workers from Bangladesh completely free of charge.

The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment announced this development in a press release on Friday (August 28).

According to the release, following a special request from the government, Malaysia has agreed in principle to take 10,000 workers at zero cost.

The labor market will officially reopen as the first batch of these workers is sent to Malaysia via a special chartered flight, with all expenses—including airfare—covered through the state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL).

The ministry described the initiative as a major milestone for Bangladeshi workers in the Malaysian labor market.

The ministry noted that steps are being taken to reopen the Malaysian market through a transparent process, following its previous closure due to corruption, irregularities, and syndication during the past administration.

To achieve this, several ministerial-level meetings were held between the two countries, alongside discussions during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's first official foreign visit, where he met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

Through these direct meetings and talks, prioritizing national interests, the doors to reopening the Malaysian labor market for Bangladeshi workers have swung open once again.

The ministry further stated that 338 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies will have the opportunity to send workers under this framework.

Out of these, the Malaysian government has directly selected 25 agencies, while an additional 312 agencies have been granted the opportunity to operate as "Associate Recruitment Agencies."

The state-owned recruiting agency BOESL will also operate within this process.