Prime Minister welcomed with red carpet reception in Malaysia

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was given a red-carpet reception and a guard of honour upon arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister landed at the VVIP terminal of the Bunga Raya Complex in Kuala Lumpur at 8:45 PM local time on Sunday (today).

At the VVIP terminal, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh was received by Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Zulkifli Hasan and his spouse. A young child, Maisa Nur Aisha, presented flowers to Dr. Zubaida Rahman as a gesture of welcome.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury and Deputy High Commissioner Sahanara Monika were also present on the occasion. The guard of honour, presented by a smartly turned-out contingent, was accompanied by the national anthems of both the countries.

Later, the Prime Minister was escorted from the airport to the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur with a special motorcade. The Prime Minister, his spouse, and their entourage will be staying at this hotel during the visit.

The 50-minute road route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the Shangri-La Hotel was decorated with the national flags of Bangladesh and Malaysia to welcome Bangladesh's PM.

This is Prime Minister's first visit to Malaysia since assuming office on February 17 following his party's landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary elections.

The Prime Minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haq Chowdhury, State Minister for Energy and Power Anindya Islam Amit, Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, Overseas Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin, and Defence Adviser A K M Shamsul Islam. Also in the delegation are Prime Minister's Principal Secretary A B M Abdus Sattar, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siyam, and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon.

Shortly after Tarique Rahman formed the government on February 17, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim extended an invitation to him. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister's official visit is in response to that invitation.

In South Asia, Bangladesh is one of Malaysia's largest trading partners after China and India. However, Malaysia holds a significant advantage in bilateral trade. Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has chosen Malaysia as the destination for his first official state visit.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will officially receive his Bangladeshi counterpart at his office in Putrajaya on Monday morning. The first one-on-one meeting between the two prime ministers will be held there. Immediately afterward, a high-level bilateral meeting will take place between delegations led by both heads of government. Later, the two prime ministers will address a joint press conference.

During this visit, two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) regarding cooperation in tourism and culture may also be signed with Malaysia.