Despite getting clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) a total of 16,970 migrant workers could not reach Malaysia before May 31, when the deadline for workers to enter the Southeast Asian country ended.

"As of May 31, the BMET granted clearance to 493,642 workers; of them, 476,672 could leave for Malaysia by the deadline. This means that around 16,970 individuals were unable to go," State Minister Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury told reporters at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment at New Eskaton in the capital yesterday.

When asked about the ministry's next move, the state minister stated that a six-member probe committee had been formed to investigate why workers with valid visas did not get tickets to Malaysia.

"Those who are responsible will be brought to book," Shofiqur said, adding that the probe body will submit the report within seven days and steps will be taken based on its recommendations.

He further said that they were working to reopen the Malaysian labour market and would sit with the Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka on June 5 to decide their next course of action.

Md Ruhul Amin, secretary at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, said the workers who failed to reach Malaysia will be able to file their complaints with the newly formed probe body.

"We also plan to return the money to workers who could not go to Malaysia."

Several migrant workers, who were unable to go to Malaysia as they did not get air tickets despite having all valid documents, said they had mortgaged land, sold cows, and borrowed money from banks and relatives to pay the recruiting agencies.

"It was my dream to go to Malaysia and get a well-paying job so that I could provide financial stability for my family. My dreams have now been dashed as I failed to arrive in the country within the deadline," said Manikganj's Anisul Islam.

Like Anisul, several thousand others were also devastated after having to return from the Dhaka airport, failing to fly to Malaysia on May 31, the deadline for entering the country.

In March, Malaysia announced May 31 as the deadline to bring in foreign workers from 14 countries, including Bangladesh.

The country resumed hiring Bangladeshi workers in 2022 after a four-year suspension over allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process.

Between August 2022 and April 2024, nearly 4.50 lakh Bangladeshis migrated to Malaysia.

Last year, Malaysia was Bangladesh's second-largest overseas job market after Saudi Arabia.