AB Party demands end to Malaysia syndicates

The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has placed a seven point demand before the government to protect migrant workers’ rights, safety and dignity, calling for an end to recruitment syndicates in Malaysia, fraudulent employment schemes in Russia and bureaucratic barriers to legal jobs in Europe.

The demands were presented at a press conference at the party’s central office in Bijoynagar, Dhaka, on Monday by Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju and Secretary for Expatriate Welfare Raja Golam Rabbani.

Manju urged the state to stop treating migrant workers merely as “remittance generating machines”, stressing that their labour and sacrifices sustain a significant part of the national economy.

“These workers are not commodities. They are citizens of Bangladesh, and it is the state’s responsibility to protect their rights and dignity,” he remarked.

He pointed out that despite the economy’s dependence on their remittances, workers continue to face fraud, debt, harassment and uncertainty. Safe migration, fair employment and legal protection, he argued, must matter as much as remittance earnings.

In a written statement, Rabbani noted that migration remains burdened by excessive costs, exploitative intermediaries and administrative hurdles. Many workers sell land or borrow money to go abroad, only to find that promised jobs and salaries do not materialise.