Bangladesh, Malaysia discuss joint monitoring of worker recruitment

Dhaka: Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed on the need for joint inspections and monitoring of the migration system to ensure fair and transparent recruitment of Bangladeshi workers for the Malaysian labor market.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Acting Foreign Minister Humaiun Kobir and Malaysian Foreign Minister Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on November 3.

Both ministers stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation to ensure transparency in the recruitment process, according to a release from the ministry.

The discussion comes as Bangladesh seeks to strengthen safeguards for its migrant workers and address concerns over recruitment practices in the Malaysian labor market.

The two ministers also reviewed bilateral relations, including issues concerning expatriate Bangladeshis, trade and investment.

They discussed the possibility of concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries at an early date.

The meeting also followed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's state visit to Malaysia in June this year, which both sides said had contributed to strengthening bilateral relations.

The Malaysian foreign minister expressed hope that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would visit Dhaka at an early date.

Malaysia also assured Bangladesh of its support for the country's aspirations to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN and join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.