Diplomatic Desk:
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for a faster and wider opening of Malaysia’s labor market for Bangladeshis. He said the immigration process must be transparent, fair and affordable, so that the role of middlemen is reduced and the costs of workers are reduced.
He made the call at a joint press conference held at the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya at 11:30 am local time on Monday (June 22, 2026). Anwar Ibrahim was present.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said he had urged the Malaysian Prime Minister to consider increasing the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers and opening the labor market quickly. At the same time, the issue of legalizing irregular workers and the possible repatriation of detained Bangladeshis was also discussed.
He also said, “We have agreed that the labor recruitment process must be transparent, fair and affordable, so that the role of middlemen is reduced and the costs of workers are reduced.”
After the high-level meeting between the two countries, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim first addressed the joint press conference. Later, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman outlined the content of the bilateral discussions.
At the beginning of the press conference, thanking the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman said that the first message of greetings he received after assuming office in February was from Anwar Ibrahim. At the same time, he expressed gratitude for the invitation to visit Malaysia.
Expressing gratitude to the government and people of the country for the warm welcome and hospitality in Malaysia, he said, “We are returning home with sweet memories.”
Terming the bilateral meeting as fruitful, the Prime Minister said that detailed discussions were held on trade, investment, labor market, and regional and international situations. Both sides reiterated their commitment to deepen Bangladesh-Malaysia relations.
She said that both countries agreed to further strengthen bilateral engagement through joint commission meetings and regular consultation processes between the foreign ministries.
He also said that it has been decided to take forward the Bangladesh-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
The meeting welcomed the exchange of various bilateral documents related to cultural cooperation, anti-terrorism cooperation, capacity building and investment. The Prime Minister said that these initiatives will further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries.
The Bangladesh delegation was attended by Foreign Affairs Advisor Khalilur Rahman, Overseas Employment Advisor Ariful Haque, State Minister for Energy Anindya Islam Amit, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister Humayun Kabir, Finance Advisor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Education and Overseas Employment Advisor Mahdi Amin, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon.
