Jamaat, NCP fear new ‘Syndicate’ in Malaysia worker recruitment

Published : Sunday, 23 August, 2026 at 8:12 PM

Observer Online Report

Symbolic Photo

Bangladesh’s opposition parties Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have expressed concern over Malaysia’s publication of a list of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies eligible to recruit workers for the country, fearing that the move could create a new recruitment “syndicate.”

Jamaat alleged that an unscrupulous group within the government was attempting to bring recruiting agencies under a syndicate and engage in activities detrimental to national interests. The NCP, meanwhile, said lessons from past experience must be considered to ensure that no new syndicate gets an opportunity to emerge.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited Malaysia in June on his first overseas trip after taking office, where discussions were held on reopening the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers. As part of the process, Malaysia’s Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS), an online centralised migrant worker management platform, published the names of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies on Friday.

The NCP issued a statement on Saturday night, followed by Jamaat on Sunday, expressing concern over the list. Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar and NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan separately issued the statements to the media.

Jamaat strongly condemned what it described as a “deep conspiracy” by a section of the government to hand over Bangladesh’s labour market in Malaysia to “a syndicate and fascists,” thereby harming national interests and migrant workers.

According to the Jamaat statement, a number of recruiting agencies have been brought under a syndicate to facilitate the recruitment of workers for Malaysia. The move has reportedly caused concern and frustration among general members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA).

Jamaat said reports indicated that the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia had selected only 25 recruiting agencies two days earlier, effectively creating a syndicate-based labour market. In the past, it said, syndicates involving a limited number of agencies had resulted in workers being charged excessive fees, leaving thousands of migrants affected.

The party also expressed concern that a worker could have to spend Tk 600,000 to Tk 700,000 to travel to Malaysia under the new arrangement, creating a major financial burden for ordinary workers and their families.

Pointing out that Bangladesh has more than 2,000 licensed recruiting agencies, Jamaat called for an open, transparent and equal opportunity for BAIRA members and experienced recruiting agencies. It urged the government to take steps to prevent fraud and protect migrant workers from possible exploitation, excessive costs and syndicate control.

NCP seeks clarification on agency selection

The NCP welcomed the possibility of reopening Malaysia’s labour market to Bangladeshi workers after a closure of more than two years. However, it expressed concern over the publication of the list of 25 agencies, saying the selection process must be transparent.

In its statement, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud said FWCMS had published the list of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies, but the process, criteria and basis on which they were selected remained unclear.

He said the Bangladesh government had previously sent Malaysia a list of 423 recruiting agencies that met the conditions set by the Malaysian authorities. The government must therefore clearly explain how and on what basis only 25 agencies were selected from that list, the NCP said.

Referring to allegations of widespread irregularities and excessive charges through syndicates in the past, the NCP said workers had allegedly been charged as much as Tk 550,000, despite the government-set cost being Tk 79,000.

As a result, many aspiring migrant workers were forced to sell land and other assets or take out loans, leaving them under a heavy financial burden, the statement said.

The NCP spokesperson warned that if a similar system is created around a limited number of agencies again, ordinary people seeking employment abroad would suffer the most.

The party called for transparency, competition and accountability throughout the recruitment process to prevent agencies from exploiting the vulnerability of migrant workers and charging excessive fees.

-HIS