Labour market revival high on agenda as PM lands in Malaysia

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman landed in Malaysia on Sunday on his first overseas visit since assuming office, carrying with him not only a broad economic and diplomatic agenda but also the hopes of thousands of Bangladeshi workers eager to see Malaysia reopen its labour market.

Tarique, alongside his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, was accorded a red carpet reception, with the PM being received by Malaysia's Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Hasan and his wife at the exclusive VVIP terminal Bunga Raya Complex.

A little girl presented a bouquet to Zubaida Rahman at that time. 

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury and Deputy High Commissioner Mosammat Shahanara Monica were also present.

A static guard of honour was accorded to PM Tarique at the airport, followed by a ceremonial motorcade on the 50-minute ride to Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where he will stay during the visit.

Both sides of the road leading to the place of his residence were decorated with the flags of two friendly countries – Bangladesh and Malaysia – to welcome the Bangladesh Prime Minister.

The two-day visit, made at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is being viewed in Dhaka as an important opportunity to deepen relations between the two countries and unlock new avenues for trade, investment, employment and strategic cooperation.

PM Tarique landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6:45pm local time, where he was welcomed by Malaysian authorities with a formal reception.

A special Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying Tarique, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of the accompanying delegation departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:45pm for Kuala Lumpur, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon.

“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is travelling to Malaysia on his first state visit at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. It is a two-day tour. From Malaysia, he will go to China on a four-day official visit," he said.

Rumon said the PM is leading a 23-member high-level delegation.

The delegation members include Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, Adviser on Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Mahdi Amin and Adviser on Defence AKM Shamsul Islam.

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly, diplomats from the Malaysian and Chinese missions in Dhaka, and senior government officials saw the Prime Minister off at the VVIP lounge of the airport.

Officials accompanying the Prime Minister said labour migration will be among the most important issues on the agenda, alongside trade, investment, energy cooperation, education, agriculture and people-to-people connectivity.

The visit comes at a crucial time for Bangladesh, as the Malaysian labour market has remained closed to new Bangladeshi workers since June 2024 following allegations of corruption, extortion and human trafficking involving politically connected recruitment syndicates.

The suspension disrupted employment opportunities for thousands of aspiring migrant workers and deprived Bangladesh of a significant source of overseas employment and remittance income.

Against this backdrop, it is hoped that Tarique Rahman's visit could help create the political momentum needed to restore worker recruitment under a more transparent and accountable framework.

The Malaysian Prime Minister paid an official brief visit to Bangladesh on October 4, 2024, at the invitation of former interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.

According to officials, PM Tarique will hold bilateral talks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya on Monday. 

The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of sectors.

Particular importance will be attached to recruiting new Bangladeshi workers, increasing opportunities for skilled professionals, improving welfare and protection measures for migrant workers and expanding training programmes to enhance workers' skills.

Officials say Bangladesh is keen not only to regain access to the Malaysian labour market but also to ensure that future migration takes place through a fair and transparent process that protects workers from exploitation.

Beyond labour issues, the discussions are expected to cover trade and investment expansion, energy cooperation, the halal economy, semiconductor manufacturing, agriculture, higher education and technological collaboration.

The two sides are also expected to advance economic ties through a planned Free Trade Agreement. Officials said a Terms of Reference is likely to be exchanged to formally begin negotiations on the proposed agreement.

An MoU on cultural cooperation is also expected to be signed during the visit.

Diplomatic observers note that the visit follows the momentum created during the visit of then Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to Malaysia in August last year. 

During that trip, Bangladesh and Malaysia signed five memorandums of understanding and exchanged three notes of understanding covering cooperation in defence, energy, research, business, higher education and diplomatic training.

Analysts believe Tarique Rahman's visit now provides an opportunity to translate those understandings into concrete outcomes, particularly in the areas of labour migration and economic cooperation.

The Malaysian government is expected to accord the Bangladeshi Prime Minister a formal welcome upon his arrival. Following bilateral talks, the two leaders will witness the exchange of official documents and address a joint press conference.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will also host a luncheon in honour of his Bangladeshi counterpart at his official residence.

After completing his engagements in Malaysia, Tarique Rahman will travel directly to Dalian, China, to attend the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as the Summer Davos Forum.

During his four-day visit to China, he is scheduled to hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Bangladesh and China are expected to sign between 15 and 17 bilateral instruments, including agreements, memorandums of understanding, an action plan and a protocol.

The Prime Minister is expected to return to Dhaka on June 26, concluding a landmark overseas tour that will test his government's ability to secure new economic opportunities abroad while advancing Bangladesh's broader diplomatic and development goals.