Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday 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,” said the Chief Adviser when Nurul Izzah Anwar, Vice President of Malaysia’s People’s Justice Party and daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, met him at the State Guest House Jamuna.

Bangladesh applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 2020.

The Chief Adviser hoped Malaysia, the current chair of ASEAN, will take a proactive role in granting Bangladesh's application to become sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN and, in turn, become a full member of the regional body, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.

At the beginning of the meeting, Nurul Izzah offered her condolences over the recent fighter jet crash at Milestone School in Dhaka.

“It’s a tragic and sad event for our country. We lost so many people,” the Chief Adviser responded.

He greeted Nurul Izzah in her new role. “Congratulations on becoming the Vice President of your political party,” he said.

The Chief Adviser highlighted Bangladesh's recent political changes and the reforms undertaken by the interim government.

“We are going through a reform process. Our students took bullets on their chests and ousted the fascist Hasina regime. It started as a youth-led movement, but people from all classes joined,” he said, adding, “Students painted the walls and streets with the spirit of the July Uprising.”

He encouraged Malaysian firms to invest in Bangladesh. “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 help both our economies,” he said.

The Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy for International Affairs, Lutfey Siddiqi, and Senior Secretary and SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed were present at the meeting.