Immediate Release 27 April 2026: Public Protest and Submission to Bangladeshi Expatriates Minister of MWN’s Urgent Demands for Compensation, Rehabilitation, Justice and Accountability for Abused Migrant Workers in Malaysia
Sourced from MWN Facebook page here
Daily Star April 27th 2026; Bangladeshi Govt pledges compensation, passport restoration for Malaysia returnee expats
High commission to be engaged in resolving workers’ grievances, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury says
Star Online Report
The government has assured the returnee migrants — affected by the arbitrary repatriation in Malaysia — of meeting demands, including compensation and restoration of passports confiscated by the Malaysian companies.
Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury made the assurances when a team of returnee migrants met him at the ministry today.
“We have demanded that our passports that were confiscated by our former employer, Mediceram, must be returned to us. We also have been blacklisted in Malaysia and we should be relieved of it,” Ibrahim Nahid, a returnee from Malaysia, who was among the migrant team, told The Daily Star.
“We also demanded that we are provided jobs in Malaysia at zero cost when the Malaysian market is open,” he said.
Nahid said between January and March this year, Mediceram forcibly sent back about 180 Bangladeshi workers after they stopped working for the rubber company as they did not renew their work permits.
He said the Bangladeshi workers migrated to Malaysia in 2023, where they received irregular wages and were sometimes left unpaid.
When they protested these irregularities, Malaysian authorities repatriated them to Bangladesh under the influence of their employer, Mediceram.
More than 50 Bangladeshis, who used to work for Kawaguchi Manufacturing, were also forcefully repatriated last year in a similar fashion.
The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN), a migrant workers’ rights organisation in Malaysia and Bangladesh, in a statement said the returnee migrants originally planned a human chain in Dhaka today.
However, the ministry officials called the workers yesterday and asked them not to hold any human chain but to hold a meeting with the minister.
The returnee migrants had already travelled to Dhaka and thus they went to the front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
While some representatives met the minister, Joint Secretary AZM Nurul Haque and minister’s private secretary Debojit Sinha, others held a silent human chain.
MWN said in the meeting, Ariful promised that the government will engage the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and relevant Malaysian authorities to investigate all the issues related to unpaid salaries and blacklisting of abuse victims.
The minister also said the government will make efforts to secure compensation for victims of abuse from companies involved.
The minister promised that relevant authorities in Bangladesh will continue working towards establishing and maintaining fair and transparent recruitment systems to Malaysia to prevent future exploitation.
He also said that the recruitment agencies responsible for sending workers, who were abused in Malaysia, will be called in for investigation, said the MWN statement.
For more details see https://andyjhall.org/2026/04/27/immediate-release-27-april-2026-public-protest-and-submission-to-bangladeshi-expatriates-minister-of-mwns-urgent-demands-for-compensation-rehabilitation-justice-and-accountabilit/ and https://www.facebook.com/share/19Uy6BoT1f/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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MWN Facebook here
The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN), a migrant workers’ rights organization in Malaysia and Bangladesh, today organized the second in a series of human chain events in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in downtown Dhaka.
A much scaled down protest activity, as requested by the Ministry and agreed to by MWN, followed constructive meetings with MWN offered by the Minister and senior officials last night and today.
MWN met Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury at 830am this morning, after a phone call last night with him. MWN leadership had further meetings throughout today at the Ministry with Joint Secretary AZ M Nurul Haque and the Minister’s Private Secretary Debojit Sinha.
In these meetings, the Minister and senior officials promised MWN the Government will engage the Bangaldeshi High Commission (HC) in Malaysia and relevant Malaysian authorities to investigate all the issues MWN raised with them related to unpaid salaries and blacklisting of abuse victims. The Minister also guaranteed exploited workers involuntarily repatriated from Malaysia will be given priority for re-employment in Malaysia in future recruitment drives and efforts will be made to secure compensation for victims of abuse from companies involved. For workers whose passports have not been returned to them by Malaysian immigration authorities or employers prior to involuntary repatriation, the Minister said that the HC will be instructed to take necessary steps to facilitate recovery and return of passports.
Minister Choudhury promised MWN relevant authorities in Bangladesh will continue working towards establishing and maintaining fair and transparent recruitment systems to Malaysia to prevent future exploitation. He also said that the manpower agencies responsible for sending workers who were abused in Malaysia will be called in for investigation.
The Minister, officials and law enforcement actors have requested since yesterday that MWN didn’t unnecessarily escalate grievances through public protest given that the Minister was committed to responding to MWN’s demands. Nevertheless, hundreds of migrant workers subjected to forced labour and modern slavery conditions in Malaysia, and later returned to Bangladesh, had travelled to Dhaka for today’s protest. So a silent and dignified protest took place outside the Ministry to slow them to share their experiences of prolonged deprivation, exploitation and denial of basic human rights with media. The workers, alongside MWN, also submitted today to the Minister a letter with 10 demands, outlined below, requesting a timeline for action, including on cases like MediCeram and Kawaguchi.
Following today’s constructive meetings at the Ministry, MWN expects the Minister to follow through on his commitments. From the MWN side, officials requested additional information on specific cases and issues which shall be sent to the Ministry within two days.
This second human chain event, which follows the first protest organized by MWN on Nov 10th 2025 (AP coverage of the last protest at here) highlighting unresolved grievances, was planned to bring public attention to systemic labour and human rights abuses faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia. This included abuses against Bangladeshi workers by MediCeram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., both in Malaysia and supplying brands like Ansell, Daikin, Panasonic, Sony, YTY and Top Glove.
Bangaldeshi authorities in Dhaka and the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia systematically failed to assist workers in Malaysia, and at MediCeram and Kawaguchi workers, in their fight for justice and accountability, despite continual changes of government in our country over the years.
The protesting workers today demanded unpaid wages, forced labour compensation, rehabilitation as well as justice and accountability for the almost 500 affected workers abused by these two global supply chain companies in Malaysia and for hundreds of thousands of other victims of abuse in Malaysia.
All of these forced labour and modern slavery victims protesting today in Dhaka migrated to Malaysia as workers through legal and official channels. They were forced to secure up to US$6,000 in high interest loans in hopes of a better life. This migration corridor is tightly controlled by criminal syndicates trafficking Bangladeshi nationals for forced labour in Malaysia at extortionate cost.
However, upon arrival in Malaysia, workers too often find themselves in debt bondage, isolated, with limited freedom of movement and with passports confiscated. Workers are cruelly deprived of promised employment, agreed wages, valid visas, and basic humane working and living conditions required under Bangladeshi, Malaysian and international standards. Many workers go unpaid for months. They are forced to work in conditions of forced labour and modern slavery. They are systematically denied their fundamental human rights by officials, recruitment intermediaries, employers and buyers/brands.
Summary: Current Situation
Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia are currently facing:
*Months of unpaid wages
*Excessive recruitment costs from an alleged criminal syndicate’s extortion leading to debt bondage
*Passport confiscation and restricted freedom of movement
*Visa renewal failures causing irregular status, detention, extortion and illegal outsourcing
*Inhumane living and working conditions
*Threats, abuse and involuntary repatriation without passports returned
*Blacklisting on repatriation preventing re-employment and legal migration
These conditions represent forced labour and modern slavery under international standards, particularly ILO’s forced labour indicators.
Case Study: Mediceram Sdn Bhd
More than 300 workers from MediCeram glove company, a Australian multinational Ansell supplier, were involuntarily repatriated to Bangladesh in past months after they protested against inhumane conditions and were eventually, after years of struggle, unfairly dismissed. The Bangladeshi High Commission stood by and watched as the company forcibly repatriated these workers and denied basic rights.
After returning, these workers face extreme financial hardship, debt bondage, social uncertainty, and mental distress. Many are severely traumatized. Some MediCeram workers received reintegration support from IOM and local government. 40 were given auto-rickshaws by IOM and 15 received financial assistance of 13,500 Taka from the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (WEWB).
MediCeram case was the subject of an ongoing OECD complaint against Ansell and high profile media coverage internationally The Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram were subjected to continuous exploitation over an extended period of years. The company forced them to work overtime without payment. Wages were withheld for months. The company failed to renew necessary visas, placing workers in legal uncertainty and at risk of arrest, extortion, detention and deportation by corrupted local law enforcement authorities. There were also incidents of abuse, intimidation, inhumane living conditions and lack of medical care. Workers’ passports were confiscated by MediCeram and immigration authorities, severely restricting movement and safety.
Supported by MWN, Andy Hall and socialist group PSM, some justice was achieved for workers. Five months’ unpaid wages, return of some passports and partial reimbursement of recruitment costs was allegedly paid by MediCeram buyers Ansell and YTY. However, as visa issues remained unresolved and the workers remained vulnerable and irregular, they demonstrated to get passports back and for a change of employer. In retaliation, the company unfairly and violently dismissed the remaining 177 workers and started to involuntarily repatriate them, using threats and intimidation.
As negotiations failed with MediCeram and its global buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and Qube, and the RBA’s Responsible Glove’s Alliance, workers pursued legal action in Malaysian courts. The High Court in Seremban prohibited workers repatriation and required return of passports and re-employment in a landmark injunction in late 2025.The case went unchallenged and became a default judgement this month, requiring worker compensation.
MediCeram was however wound up and all the workers involuntarily repatriated to Bangladesh. Until now, workers have received no compensation, justice or accountability. More than 70 worker passports remain with immigration authorities and many more have been blacklisted, preventing them from returning to Malaysia in future.
Case Study: Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.
Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., a key supplier to Japanese brands Daikin, Panasonic and Sony, abused workers in a similar manner to MediCeram. The company regularly delayed salary payments, left workers destitute and sent many back to Bangladesh without paying 7 months of outstanding wages. Workers at Kawaguchi were subjected to physical and psychological abuse, passports confiscated, lived in poor conditions and lacked access to medical care.
MWN and Andy Hall managed re-employment for most workers in Malaysia once Kawaguchi declared bankruptcy. After months of advocacy, recruitment costs were paid by Kawaguchi’s major buyers Daikin, Panasonic and Sony. But workers have not received 7 months of unpaid wages. Deported workers received nothing.
Despite complaints submitted to the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare, and legal action against the company and its administrator after bankruptcy, no compensation has been paid.
Institutional Failures by Bangladeshi Authorities
The Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Dhaka failed to provide adequate protection, legal assistance and rehabilitation for these affected workers. In most instances, workers report their concerns were not taken seriously and they faced neglect and even retaliatory behaviour instead.Brands and buyers of Kawaguchi and MediCeram, alongside arrogant industry groups like the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), failed to ensure any justice and accountability for victims also.
MWN and Worker Demands
As per the letter submitted by MWN to Minister Choudhury today in Dhaka, Governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia, concerned companies and international buyers, RBA/RGA, investors, unions and civil society should ensure:
1. All outstanding wages repaid to victims of modern slavery, forced labour and abuse in Malaysia
2. Full compensation provided to abused workers as per official rulings and international norms
3. All passports returned to workers prior to repatriation, involuntary reparation of victims ended
4. Blacklisting restrictions removed for all victims and regularisation of undocumented victims
5. Proper rehabilitation and reintegration provided to all victims of modern slavery overseas
6. Opportunities for overseas employment with zero recruitment costs provided to all workers, and action taken against abusive recruitment intermediaries and alleged criminal recruitment syndicates trafficking workers at extortionately high cost
7. Civil and criminal action taken against companies (including MediCeram and Kawaguchi) and their directors and management to ensure accountability
8. Reform of grievance channels at Bangladesh High Commissions and at Ministry of Expatriates in Dhaka
9. Accountability of global brands like Ansell, Sony, Panasonic, Daikin, YTY and Top Glove
10. Migrant voices like MWN immediately integrated into policy making on migration management and protection in Bangladesh
MWN’s International Appeal
‘‘Media, trade unions, civil society, investors and global buyers should not view cases like Kawaguchi and Mediceram as isolated incidents of non compliance. These cases are part of broader systemic exploitation in RBA certified global supply chains, especially involving the Bangladesh Malaysia migration corridor. Immediate action is needed to protect vulnerable Bangladeshi migrant workers.’’
MWN: ‘End the Syndicate’
‘’MWN call for an immediate end to and accountability for alleged criminal syndicates still trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers at high cost and with inpunity for forced labour in Malaysia.’’
Quotations
MWN said today: “Bangladeshi workers have built Malaysia and supported Bangladesh’s economy through remittances. They deserve justice and accountability – not deportation, debt and threats. Migrant workers are a key pillar of Bangladesh’s economy. Their rights, dignity, and safety must be ensured from now on.”
‘Justice, accountability, compensation and safe dignified migration must be guaranteed’ – MWN
‘Zero-cost, responsible recruitment must be implemented for future employment migration’ – MWN
Nironjan, a MediCeram Workers Committee Chairman deported to Malaysia, said: “We requested rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals or criminals. Our demands for salaries, recruitment costs and regularisation led to harassment. We were beaten and forced onto flights. Speaking up resulted in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from return. We will keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”
Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed. I worked seven months without salary. I owe 23,000 ringgit recruitment cost.”
Nahid, a former MediCeram worker leader, stated “We went abroad with dreams, but returned with debt and trauma. We need jobs again to survive.”
Media References
Bloomberg – January 2026: World | The Big Take: EVERYONE GETS A CUT, AND MIGRANT WORKERS PAY THE PRICE (for detailed background see here)
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre MediCeram Case Summary and Links
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre Kawaguchi Case Summary and Links
Associated Press – May 2025 – Migrant workers in Malaysia seek unpaid wages from Japanese suppliers
ABC News (Australia) – Feb 2026: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting MediCeram workers
Daily Star – Nov 2025: Dreams of deported MediCeram workers turned into despair
Contact
Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)
Nironjon: +8801938962947
