Diplomatic Desk:
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have pledged to strengthen cooperation in various fields to take bilateral relations between Malaysia and Bangladesh to new heights. The pledge was expressed in a joint statement issued after a summit held in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (June 22, 2026).
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited Malaysia on Sunday (June 21, 2026) at the invitation of the Malaysian Prime Minister. This is his first foreign visit and first official visit to Malaysia after assuming office as Prime Minister. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed in detail Bangladesh-Malaysia relations, regional and international issues. They expressed their strong commitment to further expand the scope of bilateral cooperation and further strengthen the existing partnership.
The two countries agreed to resume the long-suspended Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) and Bilateral Consultations (BC) at the earliest. The importance of regular dialogue and high-level visits in various fields, including political, economic and labor cooperation, was also highlighted.
In the trade and investment sector, the two countries welcomed the progress of negotiations on the Malaysia-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement (MBFTA) and set a goal to complete the agreement by 2027. In addition, the progress of the formation of the Bangladesh-Malaysia Joint Business Council (JBC) was also positively assessed. Emphasis was placed on increasing investment and cooperation in the telecommunications, energy, infrastructure, ports and logistics, halal industry, agro-based processing, education, digital economy, semiconductors and smart manufacturing sectors.
Noting the huge potential of the halal industry, the two countries agreed to further strengthen cooperation in this sector. The two leaders agreed to work together in Bangladesh on halal certification, regulatory framework development, research, innovation and skilled human resource development, utilizing Malaysia’s experience.
Emphasis was also placed on increasing cooperation in the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, cybersecurity and emerging technology sectors. At the same time, Bangladesh proposed to establish a bilateral talent cooperation framework to develop Bangladesh’s skilled manpower in the semiconductor industry through training of engineers and IT sector.
Malaysia appreciated the contribution of Bangladeshi workers in the labor market. In light of Malaysia’s current policies in recruiting new workers, both countries reiterated their commitment to ensure a transparent, fair and non-discriminatory recruitment process. To this end, the two countries agreed to organize a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting and review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and draft a new agreement.
In the education sector, the contribution of about 11,000 Bangladeshi students studying in Malaysia was appreciated. The two countries will work together to expand university-level partnerships, joint research, technical and vocational education (TVET), joint degree programs and skill development activities.
In the tourism sector, optimism was expressed about increasing cooperation in the light of the ‘Visit Malaysia 2026’ and ‘Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026’ programs. Encouraging Bangladeshi tourists to visit Malaysia as well as increasing cultural exchanges were also mentioned.
In the energy sector, importance was attached to the implementation of existing MoUs on liquefied natural gas (LNG), energy infrastructure and petroleum products. Bangladesh invited Malaysian companies to invest in oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, extraction of mineral resources including coal and limestone, and renewable energy sectors.
The two leaders agreed to fully implement the existing MoUs in the field of defense and security cooperation, joint training, military education, cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations, and strengthening intelligence sharing to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
In discussing the Rohingya crisis, Malaysia commended Bangladesh for providing humanitarian assistance to the displaced Rohingyas who have taken refuge in Bangladesh and reiterated its support for their safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation. Bangladesh expressed gratitude for Malaysia’s continued support on the Rohingya issue.
In addition, Malaysia welcomed Bangladesh’s interest in becoming an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and assured necessary cooperation. At the same time, Malaysia also supported Bangladesh’s aspiration to join the regional trade bloc RCEP.
The two leaders agreed to take joint initiatives to combat the situation in the Middle East, the Palestinian issue, climate change, food security, human trafficking and cross-border crime, and to continue close cooperation in various international fora, including the UN and the OIC.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed his deep gratitude to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Malaysian government for the warm hospitality and cordial welcome extended to him and his delegation.
