CA heads to Malaysia with labour, investment agenda
Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will embark on a three-day state visit to Malaysia on Monday, with migration and investment high on the agenda, his Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Sunday.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, Shafiqul Alam described the trip as “a very important visit” that will see the signing of multiple agreements. “Our main objective is to strengthen ties with Malaysia, with immigration as the top priority and investment as the second focus,” he said.
Malaysia is one of the largest destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers, and Dhaka hopes to increase the number further. Discussions will focus on securing Malaysia’s position as the largest recruiter of Bangladeshi labour. The Chief Adviser is also scheduled to meet top Malaysian business leaders and address a major business conference on 12 August.
On 13 August, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia will confer an honorary degree on Prof Yunus in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who will hold bilateral talks with him the previous day.
The visit, taking place from 11-13 August at Mr Anwar’s invitation, will include a high-level delegation comprising Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Special Envoy for International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqui, and BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashiq Bin Harun.
On arrival, Prof Yunus will be welcomed by Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and receive a guard of honour.
The bilateral meeting in Putrajaya will be followed by the signing of memorandums of understanding covering defence cooperation, energy collaboration (including LNG and petroleum), institutional partnerships between BIISS and Malaysia’s ISIS, business cooperation between BMCCI and chipmaker MIMOS, halal ecosystem development, and higher education exchanges.
Talks will also address recruitment of skilled professionals, improved facilities for migrant workers, bilateral trade expansion, agricultural cooperation, and sustainable deep-sea resource use.
The visit follows Anwar Ibrahim’s trip to Dhaka in August 2024, when he became the first foreign head of government to meet the interim administration led by Prof Yunus.