President Mohammed Shahabuddin has called upon Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to facilitate the entry of more skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh into Malaysia.

The President made the request during a meeting with the Malsysian PM at Bangabhaban on Friday.

Welcoming Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with flowers, President Shahabuddin expressed optimism that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia will be further strengthened through this visit.

The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including bilateral trade and investment, economic and technical cooperation, the labour market, and the Rohingya crisis.

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President Shahabuddin requested Malaysia’s support in implementing the economic reform programme of Bangladesh’s interim government and congratulated Prime Minister Anwar for assuming the chairmanship of Asean in 2025.

He conveyed Bangladesh’s interest in becoming a sectoral dialogue partner of the regional bloc and sought Malaysia’s assistance in achieving this status.

Highlighting Malaysia as Bangladesh’s second-largest destination for manpower export, the President reiterated his request for increased cooperation to enable more skilled manpower to work in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the significant contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia’s socio-economic development and emphasised the need for a transparent process in the recruitment of manpower. He assured Bangladesh of his support for the implementation of the interim government's reform agenda.

During the meeting, the President’s foreign adviser, Tauhid Hossain, legal adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, and other high-ranking officials were present. The Malaysian Prime Minister concluded his visit to Bangabhaban by signing the visitors’ book.