Call for ending syndication in sending workers to Malaysia

Returned Bangladeshi migrants from Malaysia on Wednesday formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club, placing six demands that included reforms to ensure the protection of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia’s migration system and the dismantling of recruitment syndicates accused of exploiting migrant workers.
Under the banner of the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN), returnee Bangladeshi migrants also talked about the ongoing debt bondage, corruption by recruitment agencies, and human rights violations faced by Bangladeshis who migrated to Malaysia ahead of the prime minister’s maiden official foreign visit to Malaysia. 
They noted that although Malaysia recruits workers from 14 source countries, Bangladeshi workers have long been sent through various syndicate-based recruitment systems.
They alleged that migrant workers were subjected to passport confiscation, underpayment of wages, excessive working hours, false job promises, and even assignments to non-existent employers. The speakers also stressed the need to enhance the accountability, effectiveness, and quality of services provided by the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.
They further called for the establishment of a permanent and transparent mechanism under the Prime Minister’s Office to address these longstanding issues and ensure effective resolution of migrant workers’ grievances.
The organisation stated that recruitment syndicates are among the principal causes of the labour migration crisis, migration suspensions, debt bondage, and forced labour. It called for coordinated efforts involving the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia, civil society organisations, and international partners to establish a safe, transparent, and rights-based migration system.
Among those present at the human chain programme were Omar Faruk, President of the Bangladesh chapter of the MWN and Niranjan, member secretary of the Bangladesh chapter of the MWN, along with other members and representatives of the organisation.