Bangladeshi Workers Demand Justice for Unpaid Wages and Alleged Abuse
Approximately 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies staged a protest in Dhaka on Monday, voicing their demands for unpaid salaries, fair compensation, and an end to alleged mistreatment by their Malaysian employers.
The demonstration was organized by the Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant advocacy group operating in both Malaysia and Bangladesh. Workers gathered at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh's capital city to highlight what they describe as widespread abuse of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia's wealthiest nations.
Specific Companies Accused of Worker Exploitation
The protesters specifically demanded unpaid wages and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers who they claim were exploited by two Malaysian companies: Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing. The Associated Press attempted to contact both companies for comment but received no immediate response.
This situation reflects a broader pattern in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, where many factories depend heavily on migrant workers from nations including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal to fill labor-intensive positions in manufacturing, plantations, and construction sectors. Local workers typically avoid these jobs due to poor working conditions and low wages.
Formal Complaints Filed Against Major Corporations
In a significant development, the Migrant Welfare Network revealed that a formal complaint alleging forced labor and neglect has been submitted to the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major client of Mediceram. Mediceram specializes in manufacturing gloves for medical, industrial, and domestic use.
A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to prominent Japanese corporations including Sony Group. The situation at Kawaguchi had previously escalated in May when approximately 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other owed payments after the company shut down operations five months earlier.
Workers at Kawaguchi's factory in Port Klang had filed complaints in both Malaysia and Bangladesh, claiming the company had withheld their salaries for up to eight months before closing. The shutdown occurred after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi's primary customers, suspended orders in response to allegations of worker mistreatment.
Workers Share Their Harrowing Experiences
Omar Faruk, a former Kawaguchi employee who began working for the manufacturer in 2022, described the company's payment practices: "In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses. After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia."
Another worker, Harun Or Rasid Liton, who was employed at Mediceram, accused the company of violating a Malaysian Labor Court order. "The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying," he explained. "Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families."
The Migrant Welfare Network has urgently called upon Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, along with international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive their owed wages, fair compensation, and "justice for systemic abuses."
This protest highlights the ongoing tension between Bangladesh and Malaysia regarding the treatment of migrant workers, with numerous reports of abuse and disputes between employees and companies becoming a diplomatic concern. Workers' rights organizations have demanded stricter oversight of recruitment agencies and middlemen who control access to these overseas employment opportunities.
