State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Foreign Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury has directed recruiting agencies to refund within 15 days the money paid by 17,000 workers who were unable to go to Malaysia. The agencies had taken money from workers but failed to send them abroad.

The state minister emphasized that refunds are a priority, and legal action will be taken against non-compliant agencies. A joint working group meeting with Malaysia is scheduled to reopen the pathway for sending workers.