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Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) is now weighing option to engage private recruiters to explore jobs in Malaysia for Bangladeshi workers.
The initiative is being planned as an official programme to send workers under government arrangement remains virtually halted for months.
An official of BOESL, the government owned manpower sending organisation, said they are thinking about engaging private recruiters' in the marketing process of sending workers to Malaysia.
He said that they are trying to explore job demands in the Southeast Asian market on regular basis. "We can't enter the market easily because of the alleged syndication that brings job demands with money from the employers of Malaysia," the official said.
He said it has become complicated for us (BOESL) as we aim to send workers with zero migration cost and the maximum safety. The government agency cannot spend money on marketing like the private recruiters on ethical ground.
"So, if we get any recruiter to help us in exploring job demands in Malaysia, we can involve them," he added.
Executive Director of BOESL, Mahabubur Rahaman, said, "Some of the recruiters have already communicated with us to get involved with the marketing process of sending workers to Malaysia."
"If we select any agent, we will go for a clear deal with them. The amount and method of the fee for their service will be decided after a negotiation. So, they cannot do anything that can help increase migration cost," he said. He also said they have a plan to work for exploring jobs in Malaysian market on regular basis, as it is a vital job destination for Bangladeshi workers.
On December 19 in 2021, Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to resume manpower recruitment from Bangladesh.
Earlier, Malaysia permitted only 25 manpower recruitment agencies from a total of 1,600 private licensed agencies in Bangladesh to send workers under the fresh MoU, creating an outcry among the recruiters. However, more than 70 agencies are being included in the list gradually.
In September last year, Malaysia announced that it would initially hire 10,000 workers through BOESL.
But sending workers to Malaysia through the government channel has remained sluggish due to alleged 'undesirable' marketing practices by an alliance of a section of recruiting agencies.
The BOESL started sending workers to Malaysia in November, 2022 at a migration cost of Tk 45,920 borne by the employers. The monthly basic wage of each worker is MYR 1,500 (approximately Tk 34,000).
Out of the requisition for only 795 workers from six companies so far, about 600 workers have so far found jobs there availing the opportunity of zero migration cost through the BOESL, officials said.
The agency has no further job demand for workers. It was also alleged that the unholy syndicate might have affected the fresh requisition.
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