DHAKA, Jan 27, 2025 (BSS) - A total of 7,964 Bangladeshi workers, among the 18,000, who could not travel to Malaysia as of May 31 last year, have been selected for entry into the Southeast Asian nation in the first phase, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed today.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam shared the information during the ministry’s weekly media briefing this afternoon.

He said that on December 5, 2024, Bangladesh High Commissioner in Malaysia held a meeting with Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in Kuala Lumpur. 

The meeting focused on addressing the issue of nearly 18,000 Bangladeshi workers whose migration to Malaysia was delayed.

During the discussion, the Minister proposed the formation of a Joint Technical Group comprising representatives from the Malaysian Immigration Department and the Bangladesh High Commission. 

The group was tasked with facilitating the phased entry of these workers,  Alam noted.

The spokesperson further mentioned that following the group formation, two meetings were held on December 31 and January 14.

In these meetings, a list of over 17,000 workers was thoroughly verified with Malaysian stakeholders, resulting in the selection of 7,964 workers for the first phase, he said, adding that the workers have been identified as eligible for immediate entry.

When asked about the process for the workers’ travel, Alam said that Joint Technical Committee will finalize the procedures through continued discussions.