United News of Bangladesh

A labour recruiter reportedly persuaded Maksudur Rahman to leave the tropical warmth of his hometown in Bangladesh and travel thousands of miles to frigid Russia for a job as a janitor. Within weeks, he found himself on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Rahman and two other Bangladeshi men who escaped told AP that after arriving in Moscow, they were made to sign documents in Russian that turned out to be military contracts. They were sent to army camps for training in drone warfare, medical evacuation, and combat with heavy weapons. Rahman protested. Through a translation app, a Russian commander told him, “Your agent sent you here. We bought you." The men described being forced to advance ahead of Russian troops, transport supplies, evacuate the wounded, and recover dead soldiers. Families of other missing Bangladeshis reported similar experiences. Neither the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Foreign Ministry, nor the Bangladeshi government responded to AP’s questions. Rahman said he and his group were threatened with 10-year jail terms and beaten. “They’d say, ‘Why don’t you work? Why are you crying?’ and kick us,” he said. He escaped and returned home after seven months. Documents reviewed by AP, including visas, contracts, medical and police reports, and photos, confirm the workers’ accounts. Officials and activists said Russia also targeted men from India, Nepal, and African countries. In Bangladesh’s Lakshmipur district, many families rely on migrant work. In 2024, Rahman sought new work after a contract in Malaysia. A recruiter offered a job as a cleaner in a Russian military camp with a salary of $1,000 to $1,500 and possible permanent residency. Rahman paid 1.2 million taka ($9,800) to the recruiter and arrived in Moscow in December 2024. Upon arrival, Rahman and three other men were handed Russian documents, believed to be cleaning contracts, and sent to a military facility for training. They were later deployed near the Russia-Ukraine border, digging pits in bunkers while bombs and missiles struck nearby. Some workers, like Mohan Miajee, were promised positions far from combat. But after arriving at a camp in Avdiivka, he was told, “You have been made to sign a contract to join the battalion. You cannot do any other work here. You have been deceived,” he said. Miajee was beaten and tortured whenever he refused orders or made mistakes.   Rahman’s unit was later sent to evacuate a wounded Russian soldier, only to be attacked by drones. He suffered a leg injury and escaped via a hospital with help from the Bangladeshi embassy. He later helped his brother-in-law escape in the same way. Families of missing men cling to visas, contracts, and army documents, hoping they will help bring their loved ones home. Salma Akdar said her husband, Ajgar Hussein, was taken in December 2024 for what he believed was a laundry job. “Seeing all this, he cried a lot and told them, ‘We cannot do these things. We have never done this before,’” she said. Mohammed Siraj’s 20-year-old son, Sajjad, expected to work as a chef. Instead, he was forced into combat. “That is the last message from my son,” Siraj said. Sajjad later died in a drone attack, news that deeply affected the family. An investigation by BRAC and Bangladesh police uncovered at least 10 missing men and a trafficking network involving Bangladeshi intermediaries connected to Russia. About 40 Bangladeshis may have died in the war. Families reported receiving no earnings from their relatives’ work. “I don’t want money or anything else,” Akdar said. “I just want my children’s father back.”  

Albania has expressed a strong interest in recruiting skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh to meet its expanding labour market needs. The proposal was conveyed by Albanian President Bajram Begaj during a meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. “We need workers for our country, and several Albanian companies have already submitted applications to hire from Bangladesh,” President Begaj said. He emphasised that bilateral cooperation could be broadened further, particularly in sectors like tourism, highlighting Albania’s southern coastline as a promising destination for Bangladeshi travellers, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. The Chief Adviser welcomed the initiative, noting that Bangladesh, with its dynamic and youthful workforce, is well-positioned to support Albania’s economic growth. Bangladeshi workers to enjoy similar social benefits, protection like Malaysians: Shafiqul Alam He also urged the Albanian government to ease visa procedures, pointing out that Bangladeshi citizens currently have to travel to New Delhi to apply for visas. In response, President Begaj suggested that Albania is considering the introduction of e-visas for Bangladeshi nationals. He also called for stronger institutional engagement, including high-level official visits, to advance cooperation. Adviser Asif Nazrul, who oversees the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare, affirmed Bangladesh’s capacity to provide a wide range of manpower—from doctors and nurses to factory and agricultural workers. Prof Yunus urges Malaysia to keep doors open for Bangladeshi workers He emphasised the importance of signing a memorandum of understanding to streamline the recruitment process. President Begaj also announced that Albanian universities are ready to welcome Bangladeshi students under existing international enrollment schemes. Senior Secretary for SDGs Affairs Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.

Expressing the hope to boost financial and investment ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday urged Malaysia to keep its door open for Bangladeshi workers. In response, during a joint press meet after the official talks and signing of five MoUs and exchanging three notes, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said they consider Bangladesh an important partner as its workers are playing a key role in working together and contributing to the development of the two nations. “We want to thank Malaysia for hosting so many of our people and we hope this door will remain open and become wider so that we can host many other young people to come and work in Malaysia and learn a lot,” Prof Yunus said. He said Bangladeshi workers who come to Malaysia learn many things and when they go back home start their own businesses and launch their own economic activities. “So, we are very grateful to Malaysia for doing that.” The Chief Adviser said Bangladesh and Malaysia are getting closer and closer for many other reasons, particularly because many Bangladeshi workers are working here. He said the workers send their income back to Bangladesh, which provides sustainability for their lives and their families, helping them send their children to school and get a good education. “It's not workers coming from outside – let them work. It's not like that. They're very happy to work here, The Chief Adviser said. Prof Yunus said Bangladesh is open for business and there is tremendous opportunity for Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh. “We are looking for investment from Malaysia and that's what we've been discussing. We have our own human resources that we can offer and also technology that we can offer in Bangladesh,” he said. Prof Yunus also said Malaysia can invest in Bangladesh and manufacture products to sell to the rest of the world. Bangladesh, Malaysia sign 5 MoUs, exchange 3 notes on energy, defence and more “So, this is one we're hoping will get a close relationship in financial and investment issues in Bangladesh. Widening up our opportunities so that we build an economy which will be sustainable and which will be a high-growth economy. We are waiting for that,” he said. The Chief Adviser said they went through a list of all the ideas and issues they want to work on together with Malaysia, both culturally and multilaterally. “So, we're very happy. We want to thank the people of Malaysia for the support they have provided to us in Bangladesh.” Prof Yunus said his interim government restored order and the economy in Bangladesh. “We restored institutions to function within just about a year. So, now we are ready for elections.” He said his government will hold the national election in the middle of February next year to elect a new government and ensure normal running of the country. “So, there we need lots of support and we are looking forward to Malaysia's support always -- we bank on them.” Earlier, speaking at the press conference, Anwar Ibrahim praised Prof Yunus for making remarkable progress in ensuring peace and security in the country. “He (Yunus) is now continuing the collaboration to enhance relations in investment, trade, culture and education with Malaysia,” he said. “We have placed Bangladesh as an important partner because your workers have been instrumental too in working together and contributing to your development,” said Anwar Ibrahim. He said they have continued energy cooperation with PETRONAS, and with Axiata in the telecommunications sector. “Now, we want to strengthen this into Halal, STEM, research and semiconductors.” The Malaysian Prime Minister said their Home Affairs Minister along with the Human Resources Minister have agreed on a Multiple Entry Visa facility, mainly to assist workers so they can meet their families and feel secure in their jobs. Prof Yunus holds official talks with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim “You (CA) have made some proposals and were given priority, particularly to assist the stranded workers,” he said. Anwar recalled that his delegation stopped over in Dhaka in October last year to show his country’s commitment to ensure that Bangladesh, a great country with enormous potential and a great friend of Malaysia, can secure peace and promote progress and development for their people. Anwar said Prof Yunus is known in Malaysia for his indefatigable work to secure a place for the underprivileged and the poor, including microcredit and also education at the Albukhary International University in Kedah. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam are, among others, accompanying the Chief Adviser. Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim receives Prof Yunus at Putrajaya as red carpet rolls out Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Administrator Md Hafizur Rahman and Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) President Shabbir A Khan were also present.

The Malaysian government has decided to issue multiple entry visas (MEV) to Bangladeshi workers, allowing them to travel back and forth between the two countries more conveniently for various needs. The information came from a Facebook post by legal expert Dr Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs. In his post, he wrote that Malaysia hires workers from 15 countries, but until now, only Bangladeshi workers were being issued single entry visas instead of multiple entry visas, which had caused considerable difficulties for them. "Last month, I, along with Lutfey Siddique Bhai and a delegation, held a meeting with Malaysia's Home Minister. After presenting the issue in detail, he assured us of a swift resolution. Since then, officials from the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and the Bangladesh Embassy in Malaysia have been in constant communication. Finally, the good news has been confirmed through official sources,” Dr Nazrul said. 96 Bangladeshis among 131 foreigners denied entry to Malaysia On July 10, 2025, a letter signed on behalf of the Director General of Malaysian Immigration officially announced the conversion of existing Single Entry Visas (SEV) issued to Bangladeshi migrant workers into Multiple Entry Visas (MEV).  Bangladeshi workers who were already issued SEV and Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) before the issuance of this directive will not need to reapply for MEV. The MEV will be automatically issued during PLKS renewal, the authorities confirmed.  All international airports and land ports in Malaysia have been instructed through this circular that Bangladeshi workers with valid PLKS and previously issued SEV will be allowed to enter and exit Malaysia without requiring a new MEV.

A total of 7,964 Bangladeshi workers, out of approximately 18,000 whose migration to Malaysia had been left hanging in the balance, have been selected for entry into the Southeast Asian nation initially. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed the update during its weekly media briefing on Monday. Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Rafiqul Alam shared the details, noting that on December 5, 2024, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia held a meeting with Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in Kuala Lumpur. The meeting primarily addressed the prolonged delay in the migration process of nearly 18,000 Bangladeshi workers. During the discussions, the Malaysian Minister proposed forming a Joint Technical Group to expedite the workers' phased entry. Thai Airways opens new Dhaka Town Office This group was to include representatives from the Malaysian Immigration Department and the Bangladesh High Commission. Following the group's establishment, two meetings were held on December 31, 2024, and January 14, 2025, where the list of over 17,000 workers was thoroughly reviewed and verified with Malaysian stakeholders. This process resulted in the selection of 7,964 workers for immediate entry in the first phase, Alam explained. The Spokesperson also said these workers have been deemed eligible for immediate travel to Malaysia. Asked about the travel procedures for the workers, Alam said the Joint Technical Committee is continuing discussions to finalize the required arrangements.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday urged Malaysia to issue multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi workers employed in the country to facilitate their return home as and when required. The Chief Adviser raised the issue when Mohd Shuhada Othman, Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna. The Chief Adviser also urged the High Commissioner to facilitate the entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers who missed the deadline to join their work in the Southeast Asian country in May last year. Denmark, AUW to promote women´s climate leadership The High Commissioner said that a joint technical committee featuring the officials of Malaysia and Bangladesh held a meeting in this regard in Kuala Lumpur on December 31, and a similar meeting was planned on Tuesday. Recalling his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Dhaka in October, the Chief Adviser hoped that Malaysia would expedite the process so that the next batch of Bangladeshi workers can plan for migrating to the country for work. The Chief Adviser congratulated Malaysia for taking over as the chair of ASEAN from 1 January 2025 and also sought the country’s support for Bangladesh’s bid to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN and in turn become a full member. Make Bangladesh a distribution hub for Asia: CA urges Norway He also conveyed to the High Commissioner that Bangladesh seeks support from ASEAN in the upcoming International Conference on the Rohingya Crisis to be convened by the UN in 2025 in line with the UNGA Resolution 79/182. The Chief Adviser urged the new Malaysian High Commissioner, who was appointed in December 2024, to work on bringing more Malaysian investment to Bangladesh and relocating Malaysian factories to Bangladesh to take the benefit of Bangladesh’s youth forces.  “I hope that during your stay in Bangladesh, the relationship between Bangladesh and Malaysia will reach a new level of closeness on economic and business levels,” said Professor Yunus. The Chief Adviser said that Bangladesh looks forward to a convenient date from the Malaysian side to attend the 4th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) in Kuala Lumpur. Dutch and EU delegates champion tiger conservation in Sundarbans He added that Bangladesh is also prepared to hold Foreign Minister level ‘5th Joint Commission’ meeting in Dhaka, preferably by mid-2025. Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary to SDG affairs, was also present on the occasion.

Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan on Sunday expressed eagerness to recruit more workers, especially skilled and trained workforce, to support its ambitious initiatives like ‘Green Saudi Initiative’ and mega projects under the Kingdom Vision 2030. The Ambassador recalled the invaluable contributions of Bangladeshi expatriate workers to the Saudi economy and society, praising them as diligent and hardworking. During a meeting with Foreign Secretary Md Jashim at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Saudi envoy said the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka is issuing a good number of visas every day, which is adding up to the already 3 million workforces employed in Saudi Arabia. Both the Foreign Secretary and the Ambassador underscored the necessity of maintaining continuous engagement between their governments, including political consultations and the high-level Joint Economic Commission (JEC) as well as the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) on Manpower between the two countries. During the meeting, the Ambassador briefed the Foreign Secretary on some pending Saudi initiatives, including establishment of Iconic Mosques and an Arabic Language Institute in Dhaka and sought his cooperation in expediting them. The Saudi envoy also apprised him on the current Saudi investment initiatives in the port logistics and renewable and power sectors, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Secretary Jashim assured the Ambassador of his commitment to addressing any outstanding issues and encouraged him to explore further potential for increasing investment from KSA. He pledged full support to facilitate the removal of any obstacles hindering such investments. The Foreign Secretary appreciated Saudi Arabia’s role in deescalating regional tensions and fostering stability. Commending its leadership role to the Islamic Ummah, he reaffirmed Bangladesh's unwavering support to Saudi Arabia in achieving regional stability. Jashim also expressed Bangladesh’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause and called for urgent action for the realization of a Two-State solution. The Ambassador congratulated the Foreign Secretary on his assumption of responsibilities of the Ministry. The Foreign Secretary thanked him and shared some recent developments taking place in the country in addition to the initiatives and reforms agenda taken up by the Interim Government. The Ambassador recalled Bangladesh's steadfast support for Saudi Arabia in various international fora, including the upcoming 2034 Football World Cup and IORA, and expressed gratitude for the enduring fraternity between the two nations.

Reassuring decent working conditions, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday said his government will give immediate attention to the fresh entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia in the first phase subject to all conditions are met. “We have discussed the whole system. And we have gone through very transparent procedures. We need workers but they can’t be treated as modern slaves no matter if they are from Bangladesh or other countries. I said this publicly in the past like now,” he said while responding to a question from UNB during a joint press appearance with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.   During the official talks, the Chief Adviser drew special attention to the Malaysian dignitary on the 18000 Bangladesh workers who could not fly within the deadline. The Malaysian Prime Minister assured that his government will give major consideration to the applications of these Bangladeshi workers. Prof Yunus urged the Malaysian Government to issue multiple visas for the Bangladeshi workers and increase the professional and workers in-take to Malaysia. The Malaysian Prime Minister, however, reminded Bangladesh to remain careful and distinguish things urging not to defend criminal actions by anyone – either Malaysians or foreigners in Malaysia. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian Prime Minister on behalf of all the people in the country for making this announcement on the worker issue. An estimated 800,000 Bangladeshis now live and work in Malaysia. Of them, about 450,000 migrated between August 2022 and May this year. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and the Malaysian Prime Minister had a brief one-on-one meeting at the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport before their bilateral talks at Hotel InterContinental. Prof Yunus said he was ‘very happy’ to welcome his old friend in Dhaka as they have known each other for over four decades. Yunus spoke briefly on the student-led revolution, the sacrifice the students and people made and the carnage committed by the previous government. The chief adviser also spoke about his long association with Malaysian universities and its leaders. They boarded the same car to travel to the bilateral venue—in an expression of their close friendship. Very happy to welcome my old friend: Prof Yunus on receiving Malaysian PM During the bilateral meeting, they discussed three core areas – political, trade and investment. The issues of mutual interest, including economic, political, trade and investment, education, technology and human resource development, manpower export, higher education cooperation, communications, infrastructure development, and defense cooperation were also highlighted. Malaysia is going to be the next chair of Asean from January 2025, and the Rohingya issue was also discussed. In addition, the issue of Bangladesh to become a ‘Sectoral Dialogue Partner’ in Asean in terms of regional cooperation was specially raised. "This visit is very important in terms of bilateral relations and this visit is expected to be considered as an expression of deepening bilateral relations and enduring friendship between Bangladesh and Malaysia,” said Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain. The Malaysian Prime Minister laid emphasis on ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and addressing the issues of Malaysian companies in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi companies in Malaysia in a faster manner. He said they do not compromise with corruption, governance and economic fundamentals. The Malaysian PM also said the joint commission meeting can be held as soon as possible. He was accorded a red carpet reception on his arrival here on a very short official trip to take the relations between the two countries to a new height. The Malaysian prime minister, who is leading a 58-member delegation, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2pm. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus received him amid a gun salute and guard of honour. After almost a decade, a Malaysian prime minister is visiting Bangladesh, and this official visit is the first by any head of government to Bangladesh since the formation of the interim government on August 8. He was directly taken to Hotel InterContinental from the airport where he spent a couple of hours. Prof Yunus also hosted high tea in honour of the Malaysian prime minister. The Malaysian PM also met President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. He signed the visitor's book there. Malaysia is the 8th largest investor in Bangladesh. Malaysian companies, including several owned by its sovereign funds, have invested more than $5 billion in Bangladesh and are now willing to invest more, including in education. The Malaysian prime minister left Dhaka on Friday evening wrapping up his brief visit. 

Malaysia on Tuesday resumed recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh after a long pause of four years as the first batch of Bangladeshi workers reached Kuala Lumpur. A flight of Air Asia carrying 53 Bangladeshi workers landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 5:22am, said the High Commission of Bangladesh in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Bangladesh High Commissioner Md Golam Sarwar welcomed them at the airport and expressed satisfaction over the resumption of workers recruitment. Bangladesh expects that around five lakh workers will get employment opportunities in Malaysia within the next three years. The High Commission of Bangladesh said the remittance inflows from Malaysia will exceed USD 3 billion with the recruitment of new five lakh workers. Read: Bangladesh, Malaysia reaffirm commitment for further strengthening ties The workers were employed in a Malaysian food processing industry Jimat Jaya. According to the new salary scale of the Malaysian government, they will get a salary of at least Tk 37,000 per month. Besides, they will be provided with overtime, free accommodation, health insurance, work accident insurance and other benefits as applicable under Malaysian law. High Commissioner Golam Sarwar expressed his gratitude to all the Bangladeshi and Malaysian colleagues for the resumption of recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. Minister of Labor Wing of High Commission Najmus Sadat Salim along with officials of Human Resources Observatory of Malaysia and journalists from both countries were present at the airport. In 2018, the then Malaysian government shut the door of his country’s labour market to workers from Bangladesh for alleged irregularities by hiring agencies in both countries. At the centre of the latest dispute is that the Malaysian government wants the recruitment to be done by a selected group of 25 Bangladeshi agencies. Dhaka rejects the idea as it will leave out many mostly smaller agencies (over 1,500) out of the process and business.

Bangladesh and Malaysia have discussed the issues of mutual interest including recruitment of Bangladeshi workers and reaffirmed their commitment for further strengthening the excellent relations between the two brotherly countries in the days ahead. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed his keenness to visit Bangladesh in a mutually convenient date in a near future. Referring to the invitation from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the Malaysian leader, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen requested him to visit Bangladesh in this year of golden jubilee of bilateral relations.