Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday hosted a luncheon in honour of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his official residence in Putrajaya.

Tarique Rahman was accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman at the luncheon attended by senior officials of the two countries.

Following the luncheon, a cultural programme was held at the residence, where Malaysian artistes performed a number of cultural items showcasing the country’s rich heritage and traditions.

As part of the programme, a group of schoolchildren performed the popular Bangladeshi patriotic song “Prothom Bangladesh Amar, Shesh Bangladesh”, drawing warm appreciation from the audience.

The two prime ministers and their spouses enjoyed the cultural performances.

After the programme, Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman came out of the residence and were greeted by Malaysian children standing on both sides of the entrance holding the national flags of Bangladesh and Malaysia.

They exchanged greetings with the children and spent a few moments interacting with them.

Later, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail saw off Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman in front of the residence before their departure.

They then travelled to Kuala Lumpur in a motorcade and headed to the Shangri-La Hotel, where the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend a number of engagements as part of his official visit to Malaysia.

Earlier in the day, the two prime ministers held bilateral talks at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, labour migration, education, technology and other areas of mutual interest.