The Migrant Welfare Network organized a Dhaka protest where about 100 former Bangladeshi workers demanded unpaid wages and compensation for 431 individuals they say were exploited by Malaysian firms Mediceram and Kawaguchi. Complaints allege forced labor involving Ansell and claim Kawaguchi withheld pay for months before closing after major buyers paused orders. Protesters called on authorities and international buyers to secure payments and accountability while rights groups urge tighter oversight of recruitment agents.
Bangladeshi Migrants Rally in Dhaka Demanding Back Wages for 431 Colleagues, Allege Abuse by Malaysian Firms
The Migrant Welfare Network organized a Dhaka protest where about 100 former Bangladeshi workers demanded unpaid wages and compensation for 431 individuals they say were exploited by Malaysian firms Mediceram and Kawaguchi. Complaints allege forced labor involving Ansell and claim Kawaguchi withheld pay for months before closing after major buyers paused orders. Protesters called on authorities and international buyers to secure payments and accountability while rights groups urge tighter oversight of recruitment agents.
06:48 PM, 11/10/2025Society
About 100 Former Migrant Workers Protest in Dhaka
Roughly 100 Bangladeshi workers who had been employed by Malaysian firms gathered Monday outside the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Dhaka to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged mistreatment by their employers in Malaysia.
The demonstration was organized by the Migrant Welfare Network, a group that supports Bangladeshi migrants in both Malaysia and Bangladesh. Protesters said the action was intended to highlight what they describe as widespread exploitation of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s wealthier countries.
Claims and Complaints
Organizers said the protest sought wages and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers who they say were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing. The Associated Press was not immediately able to reach either company for comment.
The Migrant Welfare Network said it has filed a complaint with Malaysian authorities alleging forced labor and neglect against Ansell, an Australian company and a major buyer of Mediceram’s medical and industrial gloves. A separate complaint targets Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies including Sony Group.
"The court ruled the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but it only made the first instalment and then stopped," said Harun Or Rasid Liton, a former Mediceram worker, describing a Malaysian labor court order that was not fully honored. "We returned to Bangladesh and now struggle to support our families."
Former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working there in 2022, said wages were sometimes paid in small installments labeled as food allowances — typically 500–1,000 ringgit (about $120–$240) per month — before payments were withheld as the company faced closure. Workers have said Kawaguchi withheld pay for as long as eight months prior to shutting its Port Klang factory. Protest organizers say Sony and Panasonic suspended orders after mistreatment allegations surfaced, contributing to the plant's closure.
Calls for Action
The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to act swiftly to ensure that owed wages are paid and victims receive fair compensation. Human rights and workers' organizations have also called for greater oversight of recruitment agencies and intermediaries who arrange overseas employment and are often blamed for abuses and excessive fees.
Reports of mistreatment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia have strained relations between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur. The protesters and rights groups say stronger enforcement, transparency from employers and accountability for recruitment intermediaries are needed to prevent further abuses.