8,000 workers finalized to go to Malaysia: Asif Nazrul

Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul has said they have finalized a list of 7,926 workers in the first batch who will go to Malaysia soon.

The adviser said this in a video post on his verified Facebook account on Thursday. 

The Adviser said he had official meetings with Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs and their Human Resources Minister. “I had informal discussions with their trade minister as well. There are some developments and that is what I am sharing with you all,” he added.

Referring last year's visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Bangladesh, Dr Asif Nazrul said the Malaysian premier is a personal friend of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and during that visit he had given assurance that he would give a chance to around 17,000 Bangladeshi workers, who failed to go to Malaysia by the May 31, 2024 deadline.

“We have had many discussions based on this. They said that they would take those laborers on batch-wise and they have prepared a list of 7,926 workers in the first batch. They would give them opportunity to go and work there within a very short time and they (Malaysian administration) have already started the process," he added.

“We have learned from different sources that Malaysia is going to recruit one lakh to 1.5 lakh foreign workers within the next couple of months. I have had talks with their Human Resources Minister (Steven Sim Chee Keong) and he assured us that Bangladesh will be given the highest priority in recruiting laborers. Maximum number of laborers will be recruited from Bangladesh, we have received this assurance,” Dr Asif Nazrul, who is currently visiting Malaysia, said.