Around 126 Bangladeshi workers employed by Mentakab Veneer Plywood Sdn Bhd in Mentakab, Pahang, Malaysia, have reportedly been facing prolonged wage arrears, excessive working hours, food shortages and serious concerns over their safety, according to a complaint submitted to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The complaint, submitted by Abdullah Al Mamun to the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment on Thursday, representative of the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN), urged the government to take immediate steps to protect the workers and ensure their legal and humanitarian rights.

According to the complaint, the workers have allegedly not received wages for approximately three months. They have also reportedly been pressured to work beyond the hours stipulated in their employment contracts.

The complaint further alleges that some workers holding valid visas or work permits were forcibly sent back to Bangladesh against their wishes.

The situation reportedly deteriorated further in recent days. The workers have allegedly been prohibited from going to work for about seven days, while the company is accused of stopping food supplies. As a result, the workers are reportedly facing an acute food shortage and humanitarian hardship.

The workers filed a complaint with Malaysia’s Jabatan Tenaga Kerja (JTK) on August 11 and also contacted the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur by phone to inform officials about their situation, according to the MWN.

The complaint also raises a serious concern regarding the whereabouts of one Bangladeshi worker. It alleges that after the company became aware of the workers’ complaint, company personnel took the worker elsewhere on the pretext of discussing work. His whereabouts have reportedly remained unknown since then, causing considerable anxiety among his colleagues and family members.

The MWN has called for the worker’s location to be urgently determined and his safety ensured.

The organisation has urged the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to take immediate measures to recover the workers’ three months of unpaid wages, investigate allegations of forced overtime and other labour-rights violations, and ensure emergency food and humanitarian assistance.

It also called for coordinated action by the Bangladesh High Commission and Malaysian authorities to locate the reportedly missing worker and ensure his safety.

The MWN further urged the authorities to investigate allegations that workers with valid visas or work permits were forcibly repatriated, provide legal assistance and necessary consular services to affected workers, and regularly monitor their safety, food and accommodation until the situation is resolved.

The organisation said the workers are currently in a vulnerable situation and urged the Bangladesh government, the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and relevant Malaysian authorities to coordinate urgently to address the alleged violations and provide necessary protection.

The allegations contained in the complaint have not been independently verified. The concerned company and Malaysian authorities were not quoted in the complaint and their response to the allegations was not immediately available.