Photo: Collected
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has set the health check-up fee for general workers seeking jobs in Malaysia at Tk 8,000 per person. Not a single taka more can be charged.
The decision was announced in a notice published on the ministry’s Facebook page on Saturday.
The notice said, ‘No money beyond this fixed Tk 8,000 may be charged for the medical (health) test. Worker brothers are requested not to pay more than Tk 8,000 as the medical test fee under any circumstances. They are also cautioned not to contact any broker or middlemen for the medical test.’
The ministry further said no medical centre will work on behalf of any particular recruiting agency. Workers selected for Malaysia can have their health check-ups done at any approved medical centre. If, after an agency issues a medical slip, a worker decides to go through another agency, the previous agency must send the medical report without delay. No objection or excuse from the agency that issued the slip will be accepted in such cases.
Workers have been asked to inform the ministry immediately if any medical centre demands more than the fixed Tk 8,000, or causes any kind of harassment, stalling or trouble. For this, they have been told to email the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. The ministry also said no fee is required for the Migrams slip.
The ministry will regularly monitor and inspect the activities of the medical centres. The notice said strict legal action will be taken against the medical centre concerned if any irregularity or discrepancy is detected. Workers wishing to go to Malaysia, recruiting agencies and medical centres have been requested to follow the directive properly.
Health check-ups of Malaysia-bound workers began at the approved medical centres today, 31 October. The ministry said health tests done before this will not be accepted and will not be considered for emigration clearance either.
Background
According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare, Malaysia stopped recruiting Bangladeshi workers on 31 May 2024 over allegations of irregularities and excessive migration costs, The Daily Star Bangla reported on 28 October 2026.
According to a report by The Daily Star Bangla on 17 September 2026, under the new system Malaysia has picked 25 agencies as lead agencies from a list of 423 Bangladeshi agencies; they are joined by 312 partner agencies and the state-owned BOESL.
A bdnews24.com report on 29 August 2026 said workers’ health check-ups will be done at 16 approved medical centres; the controversial centres were dropped from the list at Bangladesh’s request.
By the numbers
According to The Daily Star Bangla’s 17 September 2026 calculation, nearly 4.5 lakh Bangladeshis went to Malaysia between 2022 and 2024; although the government-fixed cost was Tk 78,990, their average cost per head came to Tk 5 lakh 44 thousand.
Sources
Original report: Ajker Patrika
Background sources: The Daily Star Bangla, 28 October 2026; The Daily Star Bangla, 17 September 2026; bdnews24.com, 29 August 2026
