DHAKA: Malaysian government arrested over 1000 illegal workers, so far, including 255 Bangladeshi immigrants in a special drive which started from Monday evening.  

All arrestees are nationals of Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh embassy labor affairs councilor Mantu Kumar Biswas in Kuala Lumpur confirmed made the disclosure to banglanews.

Malaysia state television is broadcasting the search mission footage by the law enforcers. The illegal workers captured by police were seen in shoal.

Earlier, Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told a press conference on Tuesday that his country would send back all illegal workers who have not legal papers.

“Our strategy is to send them away as soon as possible, within seven days of their arrest, and the cost of deportation will be borne by employers, their country’s foreign missions, or by the immigrants themselves,” said Zahid, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Malaysia, a labor importing country, houses more than 20 lakh foreign workers at present. Of them, most of the workers are Bangladeshi citizens.

BDST: 2102 HRS, JAN 21, 2014