Dhaka  - Bangladesh Thursday asked Malaysian authorities to revise a decision that cancelled visas of some 55,000 Bangladeshi workers in the wake of global recession.

"We expect something positive after the upcoming Malaysian national elections as we have started negotiations," Bangladesh's junior minister for foreign affairs, Hasan Mahmud said.

In intense diplomatic efforts, the Bangladesh government formally requested Kuala Lumpur to take Bangladesh workers, thousands of whom were ready to fly now.

The Malaysian government Wednesday cancelled 55,000 visas for Bangladeshi workers, citing that the country was hit by the economic recession.

Bangladesh's foreign minister, Dipu Moni, said that the matter should be viewed in the context of global crisis and called upon the workers not to fly to Malaysia until a "positive" decision comes.

"I don't think the situation has reached a point that should cause panic," the minister said adding that the market has ups and downs and travel of overseas workers is a continuous process.

Malaysia is the second largest destination for Bangladeshi workers, with about 450,000 employed, after Saudi Arabia..

Bangladesh earned over 8 billion US dollars in 2008 as remittances sent by expatriate workers.

Bangladesh's central bank has suggested the government to look for alternative manpower market as the wave of the global crisis would certainly affect its economy soon.

Bangladesh's President Zillur Rahman at a meeting with envoys from the Gulf countries called upon them to recruit more workers from Bangladesh. (dpa)