BOESL shortlisting 112 workers for zero-cost Malaysia jobs

A total of 112 male workers are being selected in the first phase of the government's initiative to send 10,000 workers to Malaysia at zero migration cost.

The selected workers will be employed by DHL Supply Chain (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Managing Director of Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) Mohammad Rashedul Haque said at a press conference at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka on Thursday.

In his written statement, Rashedul said Malaysia is Bangladesh's second-largest labour market and the government plans to send the 10,000 workers through BOESL entirely free of cost, subject to receiving demand letters from employers.

Responding to a question, he said BOESL had so far received 568 demand letters against the target of 10,000 workers. The recruitment process would begin in phases after the demand letters are attested by the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.

Detailing the first-phase recruitment, the BOESL managing director said the organisation received a demand letter from DHL Supply Chain on 2 November and published the recruitment notice online on 5 November. A total of 4,029 applications were submitted between 6 and 8 November.

To ensure transparency and equal opportunities, an online automated system initially shortlisted 300 candidates on 8 November for two positions – 200 for operations assistant and 100 for technical skilled worker.

A nine-member delegation from Malaysia has arrived in Dhaka to select the final 112 candidates from the shortlisted applicants. The delegation will conduct practical tests and interviews over four days, from Thursday to 15 November.

Rashedul said BOESL would not interfere in the selection process and the candidates chosen by the employer would be considered final.

He added that the same automated recruitment system, without any manual intervention, would be followed for future recruitment by other companies.

Reiterating the zero-cost commitment, he said the Malaysian employer would bear all government-prescribed migration expenses.

"BOESL will not collect any migration cost or service charge from either the recruiting company or the workers for their employment in Malaysia. Zero means zero," he said.

Issuing a stern warning against financial irregularities, Rashedul said three people had recently been arrested and sentenced by a mobile court following a raid at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre (BKTTC) over alleged irregularities.

He warned that exemplary legal action would be taken if anyone from his office, or any broker or middleman, was found to have taken money under the zero-cost recruitment initiative.

He also urged applicants to avoid financial transactions with brokers or unauthorised individuals.

The initiative aims to ensure that financially disadvantaged but eligible and capable people are not deprived of overseas employment opportunities due to a lack of money, he said.