Latest news with #AsifNazrul
Free Malaysia Today
04-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Bangladesh wants to rehaul MoU on its workers to get rid of ‘syndicate'
Malaysia is expected to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next year. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : An adviser to Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry wants an overhaul of the agreement made with Malaysia on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers to get rid of the 'syndicate' system. Asif Nazrul said failure to amend the agreement could see the country impose a moratorium on sending its nationals over to Malaysia, the country's The Daily Star reported. Asif said Bangladesh's previous government had signed an agreement which stipulated that a list of recruiting agencies be provided for Malaysia to select from. He said this formal agreement between the two parties was akin to a 'syndicate'. 'Now that we've taken over, everyone is saying the syndicate system must be abolished,' Asif was quoted as saying, referring to the interim government under Muhammad Yunus. He said to get rid of the syndicate system, the agreement between Bangladesh and Malaysia needed to be amended. However, he conceded that they could not 'force Malaysia to change' the agreement. 'If they refuse, we have two options – follow their terms and send workers through 25, 50 or 100 agencies, or stop sending workers altogether,' Asif said. He said Malaysia is expected to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next year. In May, former Klang MP Charles Santiago told FMT that Malaysia and Bangladesh must discuss putting an end to cartels in the labour recruitment market. Santiago said the current system and processes needed to be reformed, referring to the way recruitment agents allegedly linked to cartels operated by charging fees as high as RM20,000 for Bangladeshi workers to work in Malaysia. In 2021, Malaysia and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. It was effective for five years until December 2026. It was signed by then human resources minister M Saravanan and Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmad. Saravanan had then said that the MoU outlined the responsibilities of the Malaysian employers, the workers from Bangladesh as well as the duties of private employment agencies in both countries.
Free Malaysia Today
04-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Halt ‘syndicate recruitment' of Bangladeshi workers, Santiago tells govt
A Bangladeshi official said Dhaka could impose a moratorium on sending its nationals to Malaysia unless the current agreement on worker recruitment is amended. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has called on Malaysia to heed Bangladesh's call to get rid of the 'syndicate' system used to recruit Bangladeshi migrant workers. Asif Nazrul, an adviser to Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, said yesterday that Dhaka could impose a moratorium on sending its nationals to Malaysia unless the current agreement on worker recruitment is amended. Santiago, the co-chair of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said Bangladeshi workers are forced to pay between RM20,000 and RM30,000 to secure jobs in Malaysia, forcing them into debt before they even set foot in the country. He said recruitment syndicates are able to charge such high fees as the current 'toothless' memorandum of understanding on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers does not provide for any fines or licence revocations. 'What we need is a binding bilateral labour agreement. Without one, syndicates will keep trafficking workers, industries will keep bleeding cash, and Malaysia will keep facing global disgrace. 'There is no recourse for workers who are forced into slavery like conditions. A binding pact means real penalties, transparency, and zero costs for workers. 'The government owes it to workers, employers, and the public to show real leadership and fix a fundamentally flawed system that breeds corruption,' he said in a statement. In 2021, Malaysia and Bangladesh signed an MoU on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, which is effective until December 2026. The agreement stipulates that a list of recruiting agencies be provided for Malaysia to select from. In a report in Bangladesh's The Daily Star yesterday, Asif said the agreement, which was signed by Bangladesh's previous government, should be amended as it allowed a syndicate of recruiting agencies to operate. 'Now that we've taken over, everyone is saying the syndicate system must be abolished,' he was quoted as saying, referring to the interim government under Muhammad Yunus. 'If they refuse, we have two options – follow their terms and send workers through 25, 50 or 100 agencies, or stop sending workers altogether.' He also said Malaysia is expected to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next year.
Malaysiakini
03-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Bangladesh warns of worker freeze if M'sia refuses agreement changes
An adviser to the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry of Bangladesh has called for a review of an agreement made with Malaysia on the recruitment of migrant workers. According to a report by Bangladeshi news site The Daily Star, Asif Nazrul asserted that failure to amend the agreement, signed in 2021, could see the country opt out of sending its nationals to Malaysia. He reportedly detailed that...
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Eid-ul-Adha 2025: Bangladesh confirms 10-day festive holidays ahead of crescent moon sighting of Dhul Hijjah 1446 AH
As the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah approaches, Bangladesh is preparing for an extended celebration of Eid-ul-Azha or Eid-ul-Adha (also known as Bakra Eid, Bakrid, Bakhreid, Eid-ul-Zuha, Eid al-Adha, Eid Qurban, Qurban Bayarami or the Feast of Sacrifice), with a generous 10-day public holiday on the horizon. While the final date hinges on the moon sighting, Eid-ul-Adha is likely to fall on Saturday, June 07, 2025, making the weekend (June 06–08) a festive stretch for many. In a move that is set to bring smiles across the nation, the Advisory Council of the interim government has approved a generous 10-day public holiday, giving citizens ample time to unwind, reconnect and celebrate. While the exact date of Eid is dependent on the sighting of the moon, all signs point to Saturday, June 07, as the likely day of celebration. With Friday, June 06 also part of the weekend, this sets the stage for a naturally extended break. If Eid-ul-Adha does fall on June 07, 2025, then the festive window from June 06 to 08 already includes two weekend days —perfect for planning family getaways, traditional festivities or just some well-earned rest but the real treat? The official Eid-ul-Adha holidays will begin on June 05 and stretch all the way to June 14, thanks to a cabinet decision confirmed during a meeting on May 06, 2025. Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, took to his verified Facebook page to share the news, writing: 'There will be a 10-day Eid-ul-Adha holiday, according to a Cabinet decision. Offices will be open on Saturdays on May 17 and May 24.' To make up for the extended break, government offices will remain open on two designated Saturdays in May — a small trade-off for such a luxurious holiday span. The 10-day vacation applies to government offices only. Banks and private sector companies will observe their own schedules, with financial institutions adhering to the Bank Company Act 1991 and private employers deciding based on internal policies. The announcement was made during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, where Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul and Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam also confirmed that the cabinet had approved the Cyber Protection Ordinance 2025 — a notable addition to the meeting agenda that blends forward-thinking policy with traditional holiday planning. As the summer heat sets in, this extended Eid-ul-Adha break is a welcome chance for Bangladeshis to pause and indulge in both spiritual reflection and leisurely celebration. Whether it is a countryside retreat, a city staycation or a festive gathering with loved ones, this rare 10-day stretch offers the kind of breathing space that modern life rarely permits. Mark your calendars, plan your travels and get ready to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha in style — Bangladesh-style.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia seek unpaid wages from supplier to Japanese companies
Around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia are demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after their former employer, a plastic parts supplier to big Japanese companies, closed down. The workers at Kawaguchi Manufacturing's factory in Port Klang, Malaysia's largest port city, were left stranded when the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before shutting down late last year. The workers have filed complaints in Malaysia and back home in Bangladesh. Such disputes have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia, drawing scrutiny on a small but powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolise such jobs. Asif Nazrul, an advisor to Bangladesh's Expatriate Welfare Ministry, met with Malaysia's Home Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong in Kuala Lumpur last week. Officials were due to meet again on Wednesday in Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital. The interim government that took over in Bangladesh after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed a higher priority on the plight of migrant workers who often get trapped in debt after paying exorbitant recruitment fees to work in dismal conditions for little pay. Labour advocates say the situation is worsening as more people from across South Asia, sometimes losing their livelihoods owing to climate change, seek work in Southeast Asia. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have accelerated that trend as factories move from China to places in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere. Workers allege abuse The workers have received just 2,51,000 ringgit ($USD 58,101) of the more than three million ringgit ($6,94,444) in back wages that a Malaysian labour tribunal ordered Kawaguchi to pay. Many have found new jobs but still have heavy debts after borrowing money to pay hefty recruitment fees. The workers allege that they were sometimes required to work without breaks for 24-hour shifts and on holidays with no paid overtime, making plastic casings for televisions and air-conditioners. They say Kawaguchi confiscated their passports, provided inadequate housing and delayed their visa renewals. The factory shut down in December, soon after Sony Group and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi's main customers, halted their orders in response to the allegations against their supplier. After the factory closed, the workers say Malaysian officials forcibly sent many of them to another city some 360 km away to toil in new factory jobs without giving them any information. They were kept in filthy shipping containers converted into dormitories. Another 80 workers were told to work in palm oil plantations — but refused. Most made their way back to Port Klang to seek work and chip away at the debts that have been accumulating. It took nearly three months for them to get permission from the Malaysian government to switch jobs. The Associated Press got no response to multiple requests to Kawaguchi for comment. Malaysia's Labour Department also didn't respond to requests for comment. Wider trends across Asia Factories in Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labour-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations, or construction that local workers won't perform for the wages offered. 'The cost of recruitment and migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia is among the most expensive in the world,' according to the International Labor Organisation's office in Bangladesh. The official recruitment fee is about $650 per worker. But all the workers at Kawaguchi said they paid nearly $5,000. The loans they took to pay such sums has pushed them into debt bondage as they labour to pay off ever mounting debts. In 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia should end use of recruitment agents, describing the system as 'modern slavery.' But a 2024 study of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia found that more than 70% had spent at least half of their wages to pay off recruitment debts. Most have at least two loans and many said they were misled about their wages. Nearly everyone who migrates overseas from Bangladesh, one of the countries most- affected by climate change, has suffered at least one form of modern slavery, like withholding of wages or physical violence, according to a study by the London-based think tank International Institute for Environment and Development. Seeking help from Japan Panasonic, Sony and Daikin, three of Kawaguchi's former main customers among about a dozen, agreed to cover an estimated $1.3 million of the recruitment costs paid by the workers. It's unclear how much each company is contributing. "This doesn't cover all the workers' costs, including interest rates of up to 30% they must pay on their loans," said Andy Hall, a British labour activist who has been helping the workers. Many have also defaulted on their debts after going months without wages. 'They're absolutely desperate and they're at very high risk of falling into even worse situations,' Andy Hall said. Daikin settled with the workers, agreeing to pay them more, although it says it accounted for only 1% to 2% of Kawaguchi's orders. The air- conditioner manufacturer told AP it was working with human rights groups to resolve any remaining issues. Panasonic said it was 'proportionally reimbursing the recruitment fees' paid by workers and had asked Kawaguchi to correct labour violations. It said it tried to support Kawaguchi but had to disengage from the company owing to its financial woes and anticipated production problems. Sony told AP its code of conduct prohibits abusive labour practices in its supply chain. After investigating, it demanded corrective measures. 'When our demands were not satisfied, we terminated our relationship with this supplier,' it said. The workers are seeking more help and lawyer Terry Collingsworth of the U.S.-based International Rights Advocates, who is representing them, said they were in discussions with Sony and Panasonic. "We are not asking you to admit liability. We are asking you to comply with your public commitment to remediate when one of your suppliers violates the human rights of its workers,' said a January 16 letter from Collingsworth to Sony and Panasonic.
