Bangladesh and Malaysia are set to hold the highest-level talks in Putrajaya on Tuesday, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations and achieve tangible outcomes in multiple sectors, including trade, investment, and labour cooperation.
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Kuala Lumpur on Monday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a long-time friend of the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and a strong supporter of Bangladesh, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.
Ensuring the smooth and transparent recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, expanding cooperation in energy, trade, higher education, halal food production, the blue economy and addressing the Rohingya crisis are among the issues to be discussed, the official said.
A number of cooperation documents in the form of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and notes are expected to be signed during the visit.
Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said on Saturday that the media will be briefed in detail about the visit at 3pm on Sunday at the Foreign Service Academy.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun are likely to accompany the Chief Adviser during the visit that will see a series of other meetings in addition to bilateral talks.
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Last October, the Malaysian Prime Minister made an official visit to Bangladesh, the first by any head of government since the interim government assumed office.
He was accompanied by a 58-member delegation, including ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament and senior Malaysian officials.
Formal Welcome Ceremony
The official welcome ceremony will be held on Tuesday morning at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will receive the Chief Adviser.
Prof Yunus will inspect the guard of honour as the national anthems of both countries will be played.
He will then be introduced to the Malaysian delegation and will, in turn, present the Bangladeshi delegation to the Prime Minister before signing the guest book.
Upon his arrival at Bunga Raya VVIP Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday, Prof Yunus will be received at the boarding bridge by Malaysia’s Chief of Protocol.
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He will then be escorted to the VVIP Complex, where he will be welcomed by Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail and accorded a static guard of honour.
Following delegation-level talks, the two leaders will witness the exchange of MoUs and notes, after which they will address a joint press conference.
The Malaysian Prime Minister will also host an official lunch in honour of Prof Yunus at Putrajaya.
Prof Yunus will later attend a Business Forum jointly to be organised by the Bangladesh High Commission, BIDA, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), where the formation of the Bangladesh-Malaysia Joint Business Council will be announced.
The Chief Adviser will attend a series of courtesy meetings before joining dinner to be hosted by the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia.
University Visit and Sectoral Meetings
On Wednesday morning, Prof Yunus will visit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
The King of Negeri Sembilan and Chancellor of UKM, Malaysia’s Minister of Higher Education, pro-chancellors, and vice-chancellors will attend the ceremony, where Prof Yunus will be presented with an academic gown.
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Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan and BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun will hold talks with the Vice President of Petronas.
Separate meetings have been requested for Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul and Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi with Malaysia’s Minister for Human Resources, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security (fisheries and deep-sea fishing), and Minister for Sports.
The Chief Adviser is scheduled to return to Dhaka on Wednesday night.
Dhaka’s ASEAN Ambition
In late July, Prof Yunus renewed his call for Malaysia to support Bangladesh’s bid to become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"We want to become part of ASEAN, and we will need your support," he told Nurul Izzah Anwar, Vice President of Malaysia’s People’s Justice Party and daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Bangladesh applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 2020.
The Chief Adviser expressed the hope that Malaysia, as the current ASEAN chair, will take an active role in facilitating Bangladesh’s application and eventual full membership.
He also encouraged Malaysian firms to invest in Bangladesh, highlighting the country’s demographic advantage.
"Asia is ageing rapidly, but Bangladesh has a lot of young people. Half of our population is under 27. Set up your industries here and export from Bangladesh — it will benefit both our economies," he said.