Malaysia visit signals ‘Look East’ drive

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first bilateral foreign visit to Malaysia has been viewed by diplomats and foreign policy analysts as a clear indication of the BNP government’s intention to revive its traditional “Look East” policy, with renewed emphasis on Southeast Asia as a central pillar of Bangladesh’s economic and strategic diplomacy.

Although the two-day visit was brief, it yielded significant outcomes across a range of areas, including labour migration, trade, regional integration, and the Rohingya crisis.

Analysts describe the engagement as a pragmatic diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening ties with one of Bangladesh’s key partners in the Muslim world and the ASEAN region.

The visit also carried historical resonance. During his engagements, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman recalled Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman’s April 1979 visit to Malaysia, which strengthened political relations and laid the foundation for labour cooperation between the two countries.

He also referred to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia’s 1993 visit, which expanded bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.

Observers say the latest visit builds on that legacy at a time when Bangladesh is once again turning eastward in search of economic opportunity and strategic partnerships.

Labour migration emerged as the central issue during talks between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Bangladesh urged Malaysia to reopen and expand its labour market for Bangladeshi workers while also seeking solutions for undocumented migrants and detained Bangladeshis.

Malaysia remains one of the largest destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

According to Malaysian government data, more than 803,000 Bangladeshis were working legally in Malaysia as of mid-2025, accounting for nearly 37 per cent of the country’s foreign workforce.

Between 2022 and 2023 alone, over 446,000 Bangladeshi workers entered Malaysia under various recruitment programmes.

The labour corridor remains economically vital for Bangladesh, with remittances forming one of the country’s principal sources of foreign exchange.

However, recruitment has faced challenges in recent years due to restrictions imposed by Kuala Lumpur amid concerns over irregular recruitment practices and labour exploitation.

Md Obaidul Haque, Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Dhaka University, said labour cooperation remains the cornerstone of bilateral relations.

“It was a short visit to Malaysia, but Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wants to rebuild relations with Southeast Asian countries. It is a multifaceted pragmatic diplomacy,” he told The New Nation.

He added that Malaysia’s labour market remains crucial for Bangladesh due to its significant contribution to remittance inflows.

“An immediate solution may not come easily because Malaysia’s domestic political environment often favours reducing dependence on foreign workers.

At one point, Bangladeshis accounted for nearly 40 per cent of Malaysia’s foreign workforce. Nevertheless, we hope this visit will help restore momentum to labour recruitment,” he said.

Another key objective of the visit was Bangladesh’s bid to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, a status that would deepen institutional engagement with the regional bloc and open new avenues for trade, investment, connectivity, and cooperation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed gratitude to Malaysia for supporting Bangladesh’s bid, while Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reportedly assured Dhaka that Kuala Lumpur would continue to work towards advancing Bangladesh’s interests within ASEAN.

According to Professor Haque, achieving Sectoral Dialogue Partner status would be particularly beneficial as Bangladesh prepares for graduation from the Least Developed Country category and seeks deeper integration into regional economic frameworks.

The Rohingya crisis also featured prominently in the discussions. Bangladesh currently hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, while Malaysia has also been affected by the prolonged humanitarian situation through refugee flows and related social pressures.

Officials from both countries acknowledged that the crisis remains one of the region’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing a durable solution.

Professor Haque described Malaysia as one of Bangladesh’s most trusted partners on the Rohingya issue.

“Malaysia can work more closely with Bangladesh and become a stronger voice in ASEAN for resolving the Rohingya crisis.

Malaysia itself has been affected by the crisis and therefore has a strong interest in finding a sustainable solution,” he said.

He also noted that the positive tone of the visit was reflected in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s public messaging and social media posts, which highlighted the warmth of bilateral relations and Kuala Lumpur’s willingness to deepen cooperation with Dhaka.

Beyond bilateral engagement, analysts see wider geopolitical implications, with Bangladesh increasingly pursuing South–South cooperation with emerging Asian economies to diversify its partnerships.

In this context, Malaysia and China are both considered key partners. While Malaysia could facilitate deeper integration with ASEAN, China remains a major source of investment, infrastructure financing, and development cooperation.

Analysts suggest that enhanced coordination among Bangladesh, Malaysia, and China could strengthen regional connectivity, attract investment, and support international efforts to address the Rohingya crisis.

For Bangladesh, Malaysia’s backing may also prove important in mobilising broader ASEAN engagement, while China’s influence in Myanmar could contribute to conditions favourable for the eventual repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Professor Haque said the visit should be seen as the beginning of a broader regional strategy rather than a standalone diplomatic event.

“I think the visit, although short, was quite successful. In the coming years, relations between the two countries are likely to become closer, while investment and cooperation will continue to grow.

The visit clearly signals that the BNP government is revisiting the Look East policy that it pursued in the past and is seeking to strengthen Bangladesh’s engagement with Southeast Asia once again,” he said.

For many observers, the Malaysia visit represents an early step in a renewed eastern diplomatic orientation focused on labour mobility, regional integration, investment, South–South cooperation, and collective responses to shared challenges such as the Rohingya crisis.