The government will determine the service charge for the recruiters sending workers to Malaysia with an eye to ensuring a rational migration cost.
The charge will not be more than three months' pay of a worker, according to a press briefing of expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry on Tuesday.
On December 19, expat minister Imran Ahmad said the minimum wage in Malaysia is Tk 25,000.
From now on, the briefing hints, the migration cost will be far below Tk 160,000 that was officially fixed earlier for Malaysia-bound workers.
On the other hand, manpower recruiters cannot send any worker outside of the government's overseas jobseekers' database. So, they cannot charge any extras.
The ministry convened the briefing at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban following the latest Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur agreement on manpower hiring from Bangladesh.
Mr Ahmad said all expenses from Malaysia part would be borne by employers. "So, a worker can secure job in Malaysia with a lump-sum recruitment cost," he adds.
Replying to a query, he says it is too early to assume the cost, but the recruiters' service charge should not be more than three months' wage of a worker.
The minister warned that he would not tolerate any kind of anomaly in the process of sending workers to the Southeast Asian country.
Responding to another query, Mr Ahmad says his ministry is going to publish advertisements to heighten awareness among people in a few days. He urged jobseekers not to deal with manpower agencies as the recruitment was not launched by Malaysia.
Expatriates' welfare secretary Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen said they would fix the service charge of manpower recruiters.
Besides, recruitment agencies will have to hire workers for Malaysia from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) databank.
As per the five-year deal, employers will bear most of recruitment
charges, including airfare for first-time flying of a worker.
If a worker completes his or her contract period, they will also get return airfare.
What is more, an employer will also bear charges for visa and immigration, medical check-up, Covid-19 test, quarantine and accommodation.
Bangladeshi workers will also enjoy employment-insurance coverage.
Bangladesh minister Mr Ahmad and his Malaysian counterpart human resources minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan inked the deal from their respective sides.
BMET director general Shahidul Alam, among others, was present at Tuesday's press meet.
