Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad has met Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and discussed a wide range of issues including recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh.

Imran Ahmad made a courtesy call on Mahathir Mohamad at Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office in Kuala Lumpur and conveyed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s greetings to him.

During the meeting, the minister mentioned the good relation prevailing between the two brotherly nations and thanked Mahathir for his strong position for Bangladesh on various issues, said a statement issued by the expatriates’ welfare ministry.

The minister had a fruitful discussion on recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and requested the Malaysian PM to put his heed in this regard, the statement said.

In September last year, Mahathir-led government suspended labour recruitment from Bangladesh alleging that there was a monopoly by a syndicate of 10 recruiting agents, which were authorised by the previous Malaysian government.

Workers had to spend up to Tk 400,000 each though the recruitment cost which was initially Tk 37,000 under the G2G Plus deal signed in 2016.

The two governments are now working based on a new deal for fresh recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh.