The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare has submitted a report to the High Court holding recruiting agencies responsible for the failure of 17,777 workers from Bangladesh to travel to Malaysia.
The report was presented on Sunday (April 27) before the High Court bench consisting of Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Muvina Asaf. The information was confirmed by Tanvir Ahmed, the lawyer representing the petitioner. While the report recommends punitive measures, it does not specify whether any action has been taken thus far.
The court has directed authorities to provide an update by August 27 on the steps taken against the recruiting agencies, the refund process for workers who could not travel, and the progress of their rescheduled travel plans.
It is important to note that Malaysia's labour market reopened in August 2022 after a prolonged hiatus. By May 31, 2024, nearly half a million workers had travelled to Malaysia through 101 recruiting agencies. However, due to complications with ticketing, over 17,000 workers were unable to make the journey.
