Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged Malaysia’s leading conglomerates to explore investment opportunities in Bangladesh’s affordable housing, ports, and healthcare and education sectors.
The appeal was made during a series of high-level meetings in Kuala Lumpur with some of Malaysia’s most prominent business leaders.
In talks with Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, chairman and founder of the Sunway Group, Professor Yunus emphasised the potential for large-scale affordable housing developments, particularly for the growing number of factory workers living near industrial parks and economic zones.
“It is time to invest in Bangladesh,” Professor Yunus said, highlighting reforms introduced by the Interim Government to create a more business-friendly environment.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun stressed the pressing need for housing and infrastructure investment, especially in the south-eastern region where new ports and economic zones are under development. He also invited the Sunway Group – one of Malaysia’s largest healthcare providers – to establish hospitals in Bangladesh.
Cheah indicated that his group would “definitely” explore opportunities in the country and expressed interest in offering scholarships to Bangladeshi students. He noted that tens of thousands of Bangladeshis are currently employed in Sunway’s construction and housing projects and praised their contribution, adding that he had urged Malaysian authorities to extend their permitted length of stay beyond six years.
In a separate meeting, Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary – owner of national carmaker Proton and infrastructure conglomerate MMC Corporation Berhad – voiced his commitment to investing in Bangladesh, stating: “It’s not just for profit; we want to do this because of the Bangladeshi people.”
Syed Mokhtar underlined the importance of responsible relocation in projects involving river development and fishing communities. He also expressed interest in Bangladesh’s solar energy and agro-processing sectors, noting his group’s focus on renewable energy and food security.
Professor Yunus reiterated that the Interim Government had introduced extensive reforms to streamline business and investment procedures.
As a gesture of goodwill, Syed Mokhtar presented Professor Yunus with a book compiling two decades of research on the 18th-century anti-colonial ruler Tipu Sultan.
