Editorial
Manpower export to Malaysia
We hope suspension would be short-lived
There is no denying a sense of loss being unfortunately felt over the Malaysian authorities applying a freeze on fresh intake of Bangladeshi workers into their country. In the middle of last month two incidents occurred highlighting mismanagement and nexus between Bangladeshi agents and their counterparts in Malaysia over export of manpower to that country. Bangladeshi workers' agitation and hunger strike at the Bangladesh High Commission premises protesting poor working conditions and a few thousand of them being stranded at the airport without any Malaysian company receiving them created a disconcerting situation for all concerned. While the poor exploited workers suffered in the process and there was no satisfactory resolution of the issues, the suspension of new intake comes as a heartbreaker for the employment seekers from Bangladesh. More so because an earlier ban put in 1999 had been lifted not so long ago. Currently, the country is hosting about 200,000 Bangladeshi workers and 100,000 more are expected to arrive in Malaysia by virtue of a previous approval. The potential for intake is huge into that country.
The question is, why are we running into interminable difficulties with manpower export to such a friendly and fraternal country like Malaysia where the contribution of our workers to the economy is a well recognised fact? The government to government relations are in an excellent state; but it is the manpower agents and their middlemen on both sides that have made a mess of the affair. A lot of money came into play and despite the stipulated rate per person being Tk 84 thousand, the asking rate went as high as Tk 2.5 lakh.
While the returnees must get back their money from the agents, we should set our house in order and then take the matter up seriously with the Malaysian government to see how best both sides can be ready to resume their manpower business.
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