Ahead of his upcoming visit to Malaysia, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been urged to take immediate steps to address long-standing problems in the Malaysia-bound labour migration system, including undocumented workers’ status, recruitment syndicates, wage exploitation and workers’ rights violations.

The appeal came from the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN), which placed a six-point demand before the Prime Minister, highlighting that thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers have suffered due to excessive migration costs, unethical recruitment practices, unpaid wages, passport confiscation and lack of effective grievance mechanisms.

A key demand raised by MWN is for the Malaysian authorities to provide an opportunity for undocumented Bangladeshi workers to regularise their status, allowing them to continue working legally and avoid detention or deportation.

The organisation also called for the dismantling of recruitment syndicates that have contributed to inflated migration expenses and unfair access to overseas employment opportunities.

Its six-point demands include ensuring the recovery of unpaid wages and compensation for affected workers, ending forced labour and passport retention practices, strengthening accountability within the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, and establishing a permanent and transparent complaint resolution mechanism under the Prime Minister’s Office for overseas workers.

MWN urged the government to take effective diplomatic and policy measures to ensure the rights, dignity and safe migration of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, stressing that the issue requires urgent attention during the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit.