CA Yunus off to Malaysia on 3-day official tour
Ministry of Foreign Affairs' DG (Public Diplomacy) Shah Asif Rahman said five MoUs are expected to be signed
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus left Dhaka today (11 August) for Kuala Lumpur on a three-day state visit.
A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the chief adviser and his entourage departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 2pm, said Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
Briefing reporters on the Malaysia tour, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam yesterday (10 August) said migration and investment issues will be given priority during the visit.
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A business conference will be held on 12 August, while on 13 August, the chief adviser will be conferred an honorary doctorate degree by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), he said.
On the first day of the visit, CA Yunus will be welcomed with a guard of honour, where Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will receive him.
Muhammad Yunus will hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on 12 August at the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya. After the meeting, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the two countries.
During the tour, five MoUs and three notes of exchange are expected to be signed. It is also expected that the chief adviser would join a view-exchange meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates.
A high-level delegation is accompanying the chief adviser during his tour.
The delegation includes Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Nazrul, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser for International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi and BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun.
The chief adviser is expected to return home on 13 August.
The trip comes as a reciprocal gesture following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Bangladesh in October 2024.
PM Anwar, a long-time friend of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been a steadfast supporter of Bangladesh and its development initiatives.
In 2024, the total trade between Bangladesh and Malaysia reached $2.92 billion, an increase of 5.1% compared with 2023, according to a UNB report.
'Likely 5 MoUs'
Director General (Public Diplomacy) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shah Asif Rahman, said five MoUs, covering a number of areas, are expected to be signed, alongside exchanging three additional notes of cooperation.
The MoUs are likely to be signed on defence cooperation, energy cooperation, formation of Business Councils (FBCCI and NCCIM), Cooperation between BMCCI and Malaysian institution MIMOS and Cooperation between Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Malaysian Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Asif Rahman said.
In addition, he said, there are possibilities of a total of three 'exchanges of notes' between the two countries on cooperation in the halal ecosystem, higher education and the diplomatic training academy.
The Chief Adviser and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will witness the signing of the MoUs and the 'exchange of notes.'
DG Asif Rahman said Bangladesh's application to become a 'Sectoral Dialogue Partner' of ASEAN and to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be strongly highlighted during the visit.
In addition, he said, ASEAN member states, including Malaysia, will be called upon to play a more active and effective role in the repatriation of Rohingyas.
Asif Rahman said this visit will play an important role in elevating the existing bilateral and economic relations with Malaysia to a new height.
"We are optimistic that this visit will further strengthen the foundation of mutual respect, trust and cooperation between the two brotherly countries," he said.
Formal welcome ceremony
The official welcome ceremony will be held on tomorrow (12 August) morning at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will receive the chief adviser.
Prof Yunus will inspect the guard of honour as the national anthems of both countries will be played.
He will then be introduced to the Malaysian delegation and will, in turn, present the Bangladeshi delegation to the Prime Minister before signing the guest book.
Upon his arrival at Bunga Raya VVIP Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport today, CA Yunus will be received at the boarding bridge by Malaysia's chief of protocol.
He will then be escorted to the VVIP Complex, where he will be welcomed by Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail and accorded a static guard of honour.
Following the private and delegation-level talks, the two leaders will witness the exchange of MoUs and notes, after which they will address a joint press conference.
Both in the private and delegation-level meetings, the issues of recruiting new Bangladeshi workers in various sectors of Malaysia, recruiting more professionals, and ensuring the facilities and benefits of workers will be discussed with great importance, DG Asif Rahman said.
CA Yunus will later attend a Business Forum jointly to be organised by the Bangladesh High Commission, BIDA, and Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), where the formation of the Bangladesh-Malaysia Joint Business Council will be announced.
The chief adviser will attend a series of courtesy meetings before joining dinner to be hosted by the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia.
University visit and sectoral meetings
On Wednesday (13 August) morning, CA Yunus will visit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
The King of Negeri Sembilan and Chancellor of UKM, Malaysia's Minister of Higher Education, pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors will attend the ceremony, where Prof Yunus will be presented with an academic gown.
Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan and BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun will hold talks with the vice president of Petronas.
Separate meetings have been requested for Expatriates' Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul and Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi with Malaysia's minister for Human Resources, minister for Agriculture and Food Security (fisheries and deep-sea fishing), and minister for Sports.
The chief adviser is scheduled to return to Dhaka that night.
Dhaka's ASEAN ambition
In late July, CA Yunus renewed his call for Malaysia to support Bangladesh's bid to become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"We want to become part of ASEAN, and we will need your support," he told Nurul Izzah Anwar, vice president of Malaysia's People's Justice Party and daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Bangladesh applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 2020.
The chief adviser expressed the hope that Malaysia, as the current ASEAN chair, will take an active role in facilitating Bangladesh's application and eventual full membership.
He also encouraged Malaysian firms to invest in Bangladesh, highlighting the country's demographic advantage.
"Asia is ageing rapidly, but Bangladesh has a lot of young people. Half of our population is under 27. Set up your industries here and export from Bangladesh — it will benefit both our economies," he said.
