Bangladesh Targets November Departures for Malaysia, Sets Tk 154,000 Worker Migration Cost

Earlier Departure Target Puts Recruitment Costs in Focus

Bangladesh hopes to begin sending workers to Malaysia by the end of the week following November 15, 2026, with departures continuing toward the end of the month, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury told parliament. He said the government had fixed migration costs at Tk 154,000 per worker and would act against anyone collecting more.

The announcement brought forward the minister's earlier ambition to begin departures in December. It also put a large gap between the official price and the amounts raised in parliament: Kurigram-2 MP Atiqur Rahman Mujahid said workers were facing charges of Tk 700,000 to Tk 800,000 to reach Malaysia.

Those amounts are roughly 4.5 to 5.2 times the government's stated limit. A worker paying the amounts cited by the MP would spend between Tk 546,000 and Tk 646,000 more than the official migration cost, a difference that makes enforcement central to the reopening.

Choudhury made the announcement during questions on the fifth day of parliament's fourth session on November 15. Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal chaired the sitting, which began at 4:15 p.m.

The minister said an approved list of medical examination centres would be published on November 16. Health screening is a required step before workers can proceed with Malaysia's electronic Visa with Reference application, known as eVDR. The immediate issues for applicants are therefore connected: where they can take the medical test, which agency handles their recruitment and how much they are asked to pay.

What the Minister Promised Parliament

Choudhury described the departure schedule as an expectation. Answering Mujahid's supplementary question, the minister said:

We hope to start sending workers by the end of next week.

He also said workers should be able to travel toward the end of November. His answer addressed the timetable for starting recruitment activity and departures, while warning of strict action for charges above Tk 154,000 or irregularities outside the approved process.

Mujahid had asked when excessive costs would be brought under control, when health examinations would allow recruitment to move forward, and whether a separate parliamentary committee could monitor compliance with the official price.

No decision on creating that committee was announced in the minister's response. His stated commitment was to enforce the price through action against those responsible for overcharging or other breaches.

How the November Target Changes Earlier Plans

Choudhury had previously discussed December departures at a meeting with recruiting agents registered under Malaysia's Foreign Workers Centralised Management System, or FWCMS, at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka's Eskaton area.

At that meeting, the minister linked the proposed start to Bangladesh's December victory commemorations and described an initial initiative through the state recruitment agency:

We want workers to begin their journey in December, the month of victory. We hope the first two or three flights will carry workers at no cost.

The November 15 statement set an earlier target for beginning worker departures. The December discussion also covered a proposed programme for recruitment without migration costs and hopes of signing a new memorandum of understanding with Malaysia by December. A memorandum of understanding records the arrangements governments intend to follow.

For workers, the next announced steps were publication of the medical centre list on November 16 and the expected start of departures later in November.

The Main Dates Behind the Reopening

Malaysia suspended recruitment of Bangladeshi workers on May 31, 2024, following allegations of irregularities and excessive migration charges. The current preparations seek to reopen that route while changing how agencies participate and what workers pay.

The sequence includes diplomatic discussions, an agreement in principle and medical preparations before the parliamentary announcement:

• May 31, 2024: Malaysia suspended recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
• June 2026: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman discussed reopening the labour market during a visit to Malaysia.
• October 15, 2026: Bangladesh's ministry announced Malaysia's agreement in principle to receive 10,000 workers without migration costs to them and include 338 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies.
• October 31, 2026: Medical examinations began, and a ministry directive set out the Tk 8,000 examination fee and rules protecting workers' choice of centre.
• November 6, 2026: FWCMS had published 51 accredited medical centres in Bangladesh.
• November 15, 2026: Choudhury announced the Tk 154,000 migration cost in parliament and the expected start of departures later in November.
• November 16, 2026: The minister scheduled publication of the approved medical centre list.

The medical process was therefore already under way before the parliamentary statement. Choudhury's promise of a November 16 list followed the earlier publication of 51 accredited centres and the October start of examinations.

Three Different Cost Figures Explained

The Tk 154,000 figure announced in parliament followed an earlier proposal from recruiting agencies to cap private recruitment costs at Tk 250,000 to Tk 300,000. At the earlier meeting, State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque Nur said recruitment costs had not yet been finalised and further discussions were planned.

The parliamentary figure is Tk 96,000 below the bottom of that proposed range and Tk 146,000 below its upper end. Choudhury presented Tk 154,000 as the fixed migration cost in his November 15 answer.

The government's separate initiative aims to send 10,000 workers through Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited, known as BOESL, without requiring those workers to bear migration costs. That programme has its own proposed arrangements, including waived service charges and the possibility of free travel on the first two or three flights.

Medical Tests Cost Tk 8,000

The expatriates' welfare ministry fixed the medical examination fee at Tk 8,000 per worker. Its October 31 directive allows a worker selected for employment in Malaysia to use any authorised medical centre, regardless of which recruiting agency is processing the job.

FWCMS listed 51 accredited centres by November 6. They included Asia Diagnostic & Medical Centre Ltd, Global Medicare Diagnostic Center Ltd, Universal Medical College & Hospital Ltd, Aichi Hospital Ltd, Lab Quest Ltd and Vita Health Medical Center. Most listed facilities were in Dhaka, while Shahida Khatun Digital Medical Centre had an address in Gazipur.

According to FWCMS, accredited centres are registered with the relevant local authorities and have undergone audits conducted by Malaysian company Bestinet Sdn Bhd. Their examinations come before the eVDR application stage.

The ministry also said a medical centre cannot operate under the exclusive control of a particular recruiting agency. This gives applicants a choice of approved facilities rather than requiring them to attend a centre selected exclusively by their recruiter.

Medical Slips Must Be Free

Workers do not have to pay for a MiGRAMS medical slip, under the ministry's instructions. Agencies cannot use the slip to prevent a worker from switching recruiters.

If a worker proceeds through another agency, the agency that originally issued the slip must forward the medical report without delay. The ministry said objections or excuses from the original agency would not be accepted.

Workers facing excessive medical charges, harassment or delays were asked to report problems directly to the ministry at [email protected]. The ministry also urged applicants to avoid brokers or intermediaries when arranging examinations.

Regular monitoring and inspections are planned, with legal action against centres involved in irregularities. Choudhury also warned that agencies charging above the prescribed medical fee could face licence cancellation and legal action. These measures give workers a stated fee, freedom to choose a centre and a direct route for complaints.

How the Recruiting Agencies Will Participate

Malaysia's recruitment arrangement includes BOESL, 25 principal private recruiting agencies and 312 associate agencies. Together, those figures account for the 338 agencies mentioned in the ministry's October 15 announcement.

The associate agencies are to operate through a principal agency or BOESL. Listed agencies can seek employers, obtain job demand letters, select workers in Bangladesh and conduct recruitment under the applicable rules. A job demand letter sets out an employer's request to recruit workers.

Agency representatives have also sought more direct access to recruitment procedures. Mohammad Fazlul Islam Yasin, speaking on behalf of 62 recruiting agencies at the earlier ministry meeting, called for faster medical approvals and reasonable BOESL processing fees.

Agency owner Abul Bashar requested independent access to FWCMS and permission to obtain attestation of job demand letters, issue medical slips and secure emigration clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training under individual agency licences. These requests concern who can complete each administrative step before a worker leaves Bangladesh.

What the BOESL Programme Would Offer

BOESL is expected to handle the initial workers under the initiative intended to remove migration costs for 10,000 people. The agency had issued a recruitment notice, while the government was considering online applications followed by a lottery to select workers.

Choudhury said service charges would be waived under the planned initiative. The online application and lottery arrangements remained proposals at the time of that discussion.

The minister also said legally registered agencies should have equal opportunities, rather than recruitment remaining concentrated among a small number of businesses. Nurul Haque urged officials to prevent workers from suffering because of agency negligence or irregularities.

Support after arrival is another part of the government's plans. Choudhury said dedicated support cells were being considered in countries including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to help workers resolve problems abroad. For applicants now preparing to travel, the most immediate commitments remain the published fees, access to approved medical centres and action against excessive charges.

Key Points

• Bangladesh hopes to begin worker departures to Malaysia later in November 2026, earlier than the December target discussed previously.
• Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury told parliament the migration cost was fixed at Tk 154,000 per worker.
• MP Atiqur Rahman Mujahid said workers were facing charges of Tk 700,000 to Tk 800,000 and requested parliamentary monitoring.
• Medical examinations cost Tk 8,000, and MiGRAMS medical slips are free.
• Workers may choose any authorised medical centre and switch recruiting agencies after obtaining a medical slip.
• The recruitment arrangement includes BOESL, 25 principal private agencies and 312 associate agencies.
• A separate BOESL initiative aims to recruit 10,000 workers without migration costs to them.