Thousands of Bangladeshi jobseekers converged on a Dhaka training center this week hoping for a free job in Malaysia, but many went home without ever facing a recruiter, according to monitoring reports by the Migrant Welfare Network.
The group observed Top Glove's recruitment drive at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre in Mirpur on November 11 and 12. The state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited, or BOESL, is facilitating the process, under which the Malaysian glove maker plans to hire 379 workers from Bangladesh at zero migration cost.
The venue was moved at short notice from Madani Avenue in Bashundhara Residential Area, adding to the confusion for applicants traveling from outside Dhaka. BOESL Managing Director Mohammad Rashedul Haque said a state agency could not use private office premises for the exercise.
Day one was meant for former Top Glove employees and day two for new applicants, though a later clarification limited the second day to candidates referred by current or former employees. On November 11, interviews went ahead, but many applicants were turned away at the gate because their names were not on the interviewers' lists. A serial-number system existed but was not properly followed, the monitors said.
The situation worsened on November 12. The network estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 jobseekers gathered, some waiting since 3 a.m. The main entrance gate collapsed under the pressure, injuring several workers. Scuffles broke out, some people fell ill, and the crowd stretched about a kilometer along the road, disrupting traffic while police and Ansar members struggled to restore order.
No interviews were held that day. Representatives instead collected passport photocopies and phone numbers and told applicants they would be contacted later. Some of those documents were later found scattered around the center.
Applicants came from Barishal, Khulna, Rajshahi, Pabna, Gazipur and other districts, spending between Tk 2,000 and Tk 3,500 each on travel and other costs. Workers also paid Tk 20 for application forms, and many paid another Tk 100 for help filling them out.
The network said about 700 former Top Glove workers were on a registration list, with roughly 379 expected to be chosen through interviews. Interviews for November 12 were reportedly scheduled for 351 shortlisted candidates referred by existing employees, but many said their names were missing despite having referrals.
The network raised the possibility that recruiting agencies previously penalized for irregularities in Malaysia-bound hiring were involved, though it did not establish this and asked BOESL to clarify any role they played. It blamed inadequate planning, poor coordination and weak recruitment management, and urged BOESL, Top Glove and the authorities to introduce advance registration, preliminary screening and better communication with applicants.
Haque has said BOESL will not interfere in employers' selection and will charge no migration costs or service fees, stressing that zero means zero. He has also warned of legal action against brokers and middlemen who collect money. His remarks did not directly address the complaints about fees for forms and help with filling them out.
The network pointed to a separate recruitment for DHL Supply Chain Malaysia as a possible model. In that process, 4,029 people registered online and 300 were shortlisted through a digital lottery for 112 posts. The government has begun a plan to send 10,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia without migration costs.
