Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Friday, where he met with interim leader Muhammad Yunus. Yunus, who assumed leadership after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled during the coup in August, will discuss trade, migrant workers, and the Rohingya refugee crisis with Anwar.
During Anwar’s hour-long visit, various aspects of trade and investment, the migrant worker situation, and the Rohingya refugee crisis are expected to be highlighted, according to reports from government officials and the media. Yunus welcomed Anwar at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, where he was given a gun salute and a red carpet reception.
This is the first visit by a foreign leader to Bangladesh since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 8. It is also the first official visit by a Malaysian leader to Bangladesh in 11 years. Anwar, who is coming from Pakistan, is leading a 58-member delegation.
Next year, Malaysia will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Bangladesh is keen to expand its trade with the region. Bangladesh also seeks to increasingly engage ASEAN in addressing the Rohingya refugee crisis, with over one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar currently living in camps in Bangladesh.
According to government statistics, Bangladesh was Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia in 2023, with total trade reaching $2.78 billion. Malaysia is also a major destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, with around 800,000 Bangladeshi workers employed as low-skilled laborers in Malaysia’s construction, manufacturing, plantation, and service sectors. However, the recruitment process is often plagued by corruption, and there are widespread allegations of rights violations by Malaysian employers and Bangladeshi recruitment agencies.
As of 2023, more than 6,000 Bangladeshi students are studying in higher education institutions in Malaysia.
