Bangladeshi workers may start travelling to Malaysia in the last week of August as the process of reopening the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshis is set to formally begin on August 1, said Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin on Thursday.

“If all activities progress as planned, the first batch of Bangladeshi workers may start arriving in Malaysia in the last week of August,” he said while exchanging views with journalists at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon.

Mahdi Amin said administrative and technical preparations for sending workers have reached the final stage through continued discussions and coordination between the relevant authorities of Bangladesh and Malaysia.

He said necessary procedures, including worker recruitment, approvals and visa processing, would begin in phases from August 1.

“If these processes can be completed within the stipulated timeframe, Bangladeshi workers will start arriving in Malaysia towards the end of August,” he said.

The adviser said the recruitment and deployment of workers would be carried out in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Recruiting agencies previously involved in syndication and those convicted of offences would be excluded from the process, he said, stressing that transparency and accountability would be ensured in worker recruitment.

The reopening of the Malaysian labour market will create legal overseas employment opportunities for thousands of Bangladeshis, Mahdi Amin said.

It will also help increase remittance inflows and further strengthen economic and manpower cooperation between Bangladesh and Malaysia, he added.

He said relevant ministries and agencies of the two countries are working closely to ensure transparency, accountability and legality throughout the recruitment process.

The authorities are also prioritising measures to protect workers from fraud, harassment and excessive recruitment-related charges, he said.