Tarique Seeks Malaysian Labor Reopening and Investment
Photo: PMO
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called upon his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, to reopen the Malaysian labor market for Bangladeshi workers.
He made these remarks during a joint press conference held Monday morning at the Perdana Putra Building, the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office.
Tarique said, “I have requested Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to consider recruiting more Bangladeshi workers and reopening the labor market quickly. I also raised the issue of regularizing irregular workers and the potential repatriation of detained Bangladeshis.
“We agreed that the recruitment process must be transparent, fair, and affordable to reduce the role of middlemen and lower costs for workers”.
The two leaders met for high-level bilateral talks to strengthen ties between the two nations. Tarique led the Bangladeshi delegation, while Anwar led the Malaysian side.
Bangladeshi delegation included Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque, State Minister of Energy Aninda Islam Amit, Foreign Adviser Humayun Kabir, Finance Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Education and Overseas Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon.
Tarique expressed his gratitude for the invitation, noting that Anwar sent one of the first congratulatory messages after he took office as PM in February.
“I feel honored to be able to accept his sincere invitation. We are very happy to come to Malaysia with my wife on my first foreign visit as Prime Minister,” he noted.
Recalling his father president Ziaur Rahman’s 1979 visit and his mother former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s 1993 visit, Tarique emphasized that Malaysia is a long-standing trusted and close partner.
Regarding the discussions, he said, “I had extensive and discussions with the Prime Minister of Malaysia. We discussed various issues of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international situations.”
The leaders welcomed the growth in bilateral trade and decided to advance negotiations for a Bangladesh-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Following the meeting, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cultural cooperation, as well as documents regarding counter-terrorism research and investment cooperation.
Tarique highlighted that BNP secured a strong mandate in the 13th National Election, restoring political stability. He invited Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in sectors including ICT, energy, infrastructure, and semiconductors.
He added, “I believe there is huge potential for Malaysian investment in Bangladesh, and I sincerely call upon Malaysian businessmen to take advantage of these opportunities.”
On regional matters, Tarique thanked Malaysia for its support regarding the safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees and expressed interest in Bangladesh becoming an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
He also thanked Malaysia for supporting Bangladesh’s candidacy for the Presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly. Tarique concluded by inviting Anwar and his wife to visit Bangladesh at their convenience.
