The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, New York

Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Thursday said while there still exists an understandable interest of Bangladesh in the Malaysian labour market, time has come to seriously re-examine its various implications and protect the interest of Bangladeshi workers.

"It is the government's prime responsibility to ensure welfare of Bangladeshi workers anywhere around the world and it is equally applicable for Malaysia-bound Bangladeshi workers," he said reacting to Malaysia's temporary ban on new recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. The Foreign Adviser said that for quite some time, the government had been "noticing Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia are facing victimization. This complaint was intensifying day by day." He said: "Recently, we had contacts with the Malaysian authorities in Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur and New York regarding the sending of Bangladeshi workers. For a good solution, the contact was made at the highest level."

The Foreign Adviser said: "Our workers are not mere machines of earning revenue. First of all, they'll have to be protected from all kinds of exploitation and deception."

Quoting his meeting with Malaysian authorities in New York, Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury said they had clearly told him that the import of manpower from Bangladesh was not banned, only temporarily suspended. "There is possibility of resolving the mater in future." The Malaysian government also informed the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur that despite the restriction, the workers who already got approval from them would be able go to Malaysia.