State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury today said the government will punish those responsible for the harassment of Malaysian-bound migrant workers.

He also said that migrant workers who have failed to go to Kuala Lumpur despite having all the necessary documents will be given priority when the next opportunity comes to send workers there.

A probe will be launched to find out if the agencies are responsible for the harassment and distress of the workers and, if found guilty, necessary actions will be taken against them, he told The Daily Star over the phone while visiting his constituency (Sylhet-2).

The junior minister said they will investigate that matter very seriously. "Prime Minister and our ministry are very sincere about this," he added.

Despite having the necessary documents, up to four thousand Bangladeshi migrant workers failed to go to Malaysia due to not getting air tickets, Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said.

"We are yet to get the final numbers on how many Bangladeshi workers have gone to Malaysia and how many failed to go there as our office is closed today. We will be able to say those tomorrow," he told The Daily Star.

Several hundred Malaysia-bound migrant workers waited for hours at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday amid uncertainties as the deadline for workers to enter the Southeast Asian country ended yesterday.

They came to the airport without plane tickets after the local recruitment agents promised that the tickets would be provided on time.

Throughout yesterday, the two international terminals at HSIA remained packed and there were crowds in front of the terminals as well. Many of the workers reached the airport on Thursday night or earlier.

Some alleged that the recruiting agents were not answering their phones.

In March, Malaysian authorities said workers from Bangladesh and 13 other countries would not be allowed to enter the Southeast Asian country after May 31.