A total of 16,970 migrant workers failed to reach Malaysia before the deadline of May 31 due to mismanagement by government authorities and local recruiting agents.

While briefing reporters at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment at New Eskaton in the capital, State Minister Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury said his ministry approved 526,676 workers to go to Malaysia, while the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) approved 493,642 workers.

"Of them, 16,970 workers failed to reach Malaysia by the deadline (May 31)," he said.

The minister said his ministry has already formed a six-member probe committee, headed by Additional Secretary Noor Md Mahbubul Haq, to investigate who was responsible for this mismanagement.

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

The minister blamed the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) for the mismanagement.

He said the ministry sought the demand list from Baira so that they could arrange the flights accordingly, but the association did not provide the demand list.

Asked about the five-fold airfares taken from the Malaysia-bound workers, the minister said he was not aware of the issue but would look into it now.

He said they are working to resume the Malaysian labour market and will sit with the Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka on June 5 to decide their next course of action.

Replying to a query, the minister said the government has no faith in the syndicate.

"The government wants all recruiting agencies to be able to send workers," he added.

Asked for the names of MPs allegedly involved in the syndicate, the minister said he did not know any MPs; he only knew the recruiting agencies and said steps would be taken against those who were held responsible.

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

"We have a plan to return the money to the workers who failed to go to Malaysia," he said, claiming that those who went to Malaysia recently found jobs there.