By Md. Delwar Hossain (Dhaka Bureau)
The vital manpower export sector of Bangladesh, a cornerstone of the South Asian nation’s foreign currency earnings, is once again reeling from the prolonged closure of the Malaysian labour market. As the doors have remained shut since May 2024, migration experts, industry leaders, and key stakeholders are urgently calling on the Bangladeshi government to adopt sustainable, long-term strategies to dismantle deep-rooted recruitment syndicates and pave the way for a transparent reopening of the market.
For over a decade and a half, the migration corridor between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur has been plagued by corruption allegations, structural manipulation, and monopolistic practices. While Malaysia successfully recruits migrant workers from 14 other source nations- including Nepal and the Philippines- without major disruptions, Bangladesh stands out as the solitary country where systemic ‘syndication’ repeatedly forces market closures.
A History of Disruption
According to sector sources, the bilateral labour trade has been suspended three times in the last 15 years alone due to recruitment-related controversies. The market was abruptly closed in 2008, reopened after a long hiatus in 2016, suspended again in 2018, revived in 2022, and ultimately shuttered once more in May 2024.
This cyclic instability has not only severely dented Bangladesh’s remittance inflows but has also left tens of thousands of aspiring, impoverished migrant workers in deep financial distress.
The Mechanism of Exclusion
Leaders of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) argue that the root cause of this persistent failure lies in the artificial restriction of the market. Unlike other labor-sending nations where all licensed agencies are permitted to operate freely, the
Bangladesh-Malaysia route has been repeatedly monopolized by a select group of agencies, commonly referred to as the ‘Syndicate.’
Bangladesh-Malaysia route has been repeatedly monopolized by a select group of agencies, commonly referred to as the ‘Syndicate.’
Speaking to Pressenza, Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, former Joint-Secretary General-1 of BAIRA, expressed his frustration over the discriminatory nature of the recruitment system. ‘It is very painful that when the other 14 source countries, including Nepal and the Philippines, always kept all of their recruiting agencies open for sending workers to Malaysia, only in the case of Bangladesh, syndications are formed every time. Why?’ Islam questioned.
BAIRA leaders have squarely pointed the blame at Malaysian-based businessman Datuk Seri Aminul Islam bin Abdul Nor (widely known as Dato Amin) and the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) operated by his company, Bestinet. Critics allege that this centralized digital system has been weaponized to create restrictive conditions that facilitate and shield corrupt recruitment cartels.
‘We have sent an urgent letter to the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, requesting immediate action to remove the root causes of further syndication for the survival of the market,’ Fakhrul Islam revealed, urging the interim
administration to ensure a level playing field for all licensed agencies.
administration to ensure a level playing field for all licensed agencies.
The Human Cost of Cartels
The financial consequences of these syndicates on vulnerable migrants are devastating. Industry insiders reveal that past cartels generated massive illicit profits by inflating migration costs exponentially. While the government sets a strict, affordable cap on recruitment fees, the syndicates routinely charge the workers multiple times the official rate.
To afford these exorbitant fees, thousands of rural workers have been forced to sell ancestral lands, take out high-interest loans from local usurers, or mortgage their families’ futures- only to find themselves trapped in debt bondage or, worse, stranded without jobs when the market abruptly closes.
Beyond Diplomacy: The Need for Structural Overhaul
Migration analysts emphasize that resolving this deep-seated crisis requires far more than routine, high-level diplomatic meetings or superficial agreements.
Dr. Tasnim Siddiqui, Executive Director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), told Pressenza that the issue must be elevated to a national priority status. She stressed that the government must pursue a comprehensive, long-term strategy focused on structural transparency to guarantee a stable, exploitation-free, and sustainable labor market.
Echoing these concerns, migration analyst Asif Munir stated that dismantling these entrenched transnational networks demands rigorous investigative cooperation between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur.
‘Dismantling syndication networks would require extensive investigation and cooperation between the two countries,’ Munir told Pressenza. He suggested that Bangladesh consider dispatching specialized investigative teams to Malaysia to uncover the specific actors, political connections, and digital mechanisms responsible for the recurring disruptions.
The Road Ahead
As pressure mounts on the Bangladeshi government, stakeholders agree that simply negotiating a temporary reopening of the Malaysian border will not suffice. Unless the powerful vested interest groups operating on both sides of the Bay of Bengal are exposed and legally dismantled, any revival of the market will remain fragile.
For the sake of millions of aspiring migrants and the economic stability of Bangladesh, the demand from the ground is loud and clear: eliminate the monopoly, enforce institutional accountability, and align the Malaysian recruitment process with international fair-trade practices.
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The Writer:
Md. Delwar Hossain: Senior Journalist and Contributor, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
