Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to move forward with reopening the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers, with both governments aiming to resume worker recruitment and deployment from the last week of August, following a series of high-level bilateral discussions in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking at a press conference at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Mahdi Amin said the two countries have reached a policy-level understanding on the key issues required to restart the recruitment process, while implementation of the agreed measures has already begun.

He said meetings between the relevant ministries and government agencies of both countries had yielded positive results, paving the way for the long-awaited reopening of one of Bangladesh’s largest overseas labour markets.

“If all preparations are completed according to the agreed timeline, Bangladesh expects to begin sending workers to Malaysia from the last week of August,” Dr. Amin said.

Dr. Amin said the government is committed to establishing a transparent, fair and worker-friendly recruitment system, ensuring that workers are selected through an accountable process while keeping migration costs affordable.

He stressed that the new framework is designed to eliminate irregularities and provide equal opportunities for eligible workers seeking employment in Malaysia.

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, who accompanied the adviser during the visit, said Bangladesh and Malaysia are working closely to complete the remaining institutional and administrative procedures necessary for reopening the labour market.

He noted that both governments have agreed to strengthen cooperation on labour migration management and expedite the implementation of agreed mechanisms to facilitate smooth recruitment.

The announcement follows recent statements by Malaysian Human Resources Minister R. Ramanan, who said the Malaysian government aims to resolve the remaining administrative issues surrounding foreign worker recruitment within 20 days, following a directive from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysia has also reiterated that while priority will continue to be given to local workers, foreign workers remain essential to addressing labour shortages in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, plantations and services.

Officials from both countries said technical teams are now finalising operational procedures, including employer demand verification, recruitment mechanisms and regulatory compliance. Once these preparations are completed, licensed recruitment agencies are expected to begin processing workers for deployment.

The reopening of the Malaysian labour market is expected to provide significant employment opportunities for thousands of Bangladeshi workers and strengthen bilateral economic cooperation through increased overseas employment and remittance inflows.

The Bangladesh delegation concluded its Malaysia visit after reviewing the progress of bilateral negotiations and expressing optimism that the remaining formalities will be completed in time to meet the targeted late-August recruitment schedule.