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DHAKA, Sept 13 (BSS) - Malaysia has agreed to recruit Bangladeshi workers soon under the government-to-government (G to G) process with a minimum immigration cost of Taka 30,000 and at a maximum cost of Taka 40,000.

Minister for Labour and Employment, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said this at a press conference emerging from a meeting with visiting Malaysian Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam at the Expatriate Welfare Bhaban here today.

Under the process, immigration cost for a Bangladeshi worker would not exceed more than Taka 30,000 and workers will be recruited primarily for five years and then the job contacts will be extended for another five years, said the minister while explaining the details of the draft agreement.

In this regard, a draft of agreement has already been signed
between the two countries and then a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) also will be signed between Malaysia and Bangladesh after
approval of the draft agreement by the Malaysian cabinet within
the next 90 days.

High officials of the ministry, including Ministry of Expatriate and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr Jafar Ahmed Khan, Bangladeshi envoy to Malaysia AKM Atiqur Rahman, among others, attended the function.

About the recruitment process, the visiting Malaysian Human
Resources Minister said, "Our government has decided to re-look
into the possibility of recruiting the Bangladeshi workers."

"The recruitment process would be done on the basis of the G to G concept," he told reporters.

Dr Subramaniam said the G-to-G concept would minimise the role of the middlemen as the workers will be recruited directly through registration. He said it will help to a great extent the Bangladeshi job-seekers.

Earlier, a nine-member representatives of Malaysian Government, led by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam, arrived to Bangladesh for a two-day visit on Sept 12.

The high profile Malaysian representative also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday.

Under the G to G process, the Bangladeshi workers will have to register their names at the Union Information Centres with a fee of Taka 80 each. "None will be allowed for recruitment in Malaysia without creating a data bank," said the visiting minister.

Before departure for Malaysia, he said the workers must have to participate in an orientation course and they will have to learn Malay language, culture and social norms and practices of Malaysia.

Prior to this, the G to G process was started in the country with an immigration cost of Taka 8,000 to Taka 12,000 for each of the worker, said Engineer Mosharraf adding that the G to G process had never been implemented during the regime of the four- part alliance government when the immigration cost to Malaysia for a worker was between Taka 2 lakh to Taka 4 lakh.