Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has received a warm red-carpet welcome upon his arrival in Malaysia. This marks his first official trip overseas since taking office earlier this year.
Arriving on a special Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, and their team landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 8:45 pm local time. At the VIP terminal, Malaysia’s Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Hasan officially greeted the delegation.
After a young child presented flowers to Dr Zubaida Rahman, the Prime Minister received a formal guard of honour while the national anthems of both countries played. As a sign of respect and friendship, the 50-minute route from the airport to the Shangri-La Hotel was decorated with the flags of both Bangladesh and Malaysia.
This trip follows a direct invitation from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, which was sent shortly after Tarique Rahman’s major election win in February. The Prime Minister is travelling with several key officials to cover a wide range of topics. His team includes Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, and State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit.
The official events will begin on Monday morning when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim formally welcomes the Bangladeshi leader at his office. The two leaders will first hold a private meeting. After that, larger groups from both countries will sit down for official talks. Both leaders will then speak to reporters at a joint press conference.
During the visit, the two nations are expected to sign two agreements to work more closely together in tourism and culture.
Trade and labour will also be major topics. After China and India, Bangladesh is Malaysia’s biggest trading partner in South Asia. However, Malaysia currently holds a much larger share of this trade. The upcoming talks are expected to focus on creating a fairer trade balance and discussing opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.
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