Dhaka, Nov. 10 -- Bangladeshi migrant rights groups have demanded immediate action to ensure justice, fair compensation and payment of overdue wages for Bangladeshi workers allegedly subjected to abuse by two Malaysian companies -- Mediceram and Kawaguchi.

The call came during a human chain organised on Monday in front of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment by the Migrant Welfare Network Malaysia and a Bangladesh-based expatriate rights platform.

Speakers at the programme compared the exploitation faced by workers at the two firms to modern-day slavery, blaming both the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates' Welfare Ministry for failing to protect the victims.

Workers who had been employed ...