Bangladeshi Workers Protest in Dhaka for Unpaid Wages and Fair Treatment

Dhaka, Nov 10 (AP) About 100 Bangladeshi workers held a rally on Monday, protesting unpaid wages, seeking fair compensation, and calling for an end to alleged mistreatment by their Malaysian employers.

Organized by the Migrant Welfare Network, a group supporting Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia and Bangladesh, the demonstration took place at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in Dhaka.

Protesters accused Malaysian employers of widespread abuse, demanding the settlement of unpaid wages and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by Malaysian firms Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing. The Associated Press has not yet obtained comments from either company.

Many factories in Malaysia and neighboring Southeast Asian countries rely heavily on migrant workers from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal for labor-intensive positions in industries like manufacturing, plantations, and construction due to local disinterest driven by poor conditions and low pay.

The Migrant Welfare Network called on both Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, alongside international corporations, to act swiftly to ensure the payment of owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses against workers. They have lodged a complaint with the Malaysian government targeting Australian company Ansell, a key client of Mediceram, which produces medical, industrial, and domestic use gloves.

An additional complaint targeted Kawaguchi, a supplier of plastic components to major Japanese brands, such as Sony Group. In May, around 280 Bangladeshi workers employed by Kawaguchi sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages and other dues after the company closed five months earlier.

Employees at Kawaguchi's facility in Port Klang filed grievances in both Malaysia and Bangladesh, alleging the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closure, following the order suspension by major customers Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp. over mistreatment allegations.

"Initially, they paid us partially, providing 500–1000 ringgit (approximately USD 120-240) monthly as food allowances," shared Omar Faruk, who joined Kawaguchi in 2022. "After wage withholdings, the company contemplated shutdown. Subsequently, we lodged a complaint with the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia."

Harun Or Rasid Liton, a former Mediceram employee, accused the company of non-compliance despite a Malaysian Labour Court ruling mandating them to pay 1,000 ringgit per month. "They paid the first installment, then stopped. Later, we had to return to Bangladesh, facing severe hardships to support our families," he stated.

Reports of Bangladeshi workers facing mistreatment in Malaysia are frequent, straining diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers' rights advocates urge stringent oversight on recruitment agencies and middlemen controlling employment access.