Bangladesh has invited Malaysian
companies to invest in Bangladesh’s energy sector, including in exploration of
oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal, extraction of untapped minerals like coal,
limestone, including renewable energy transition. Both sides also encouraged
cooperation between relevant national energy companies and private sector
stakeholders. to promote long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that
contribute to energy security, sustainability, and economic development in both
countries.
Bangladesh and Malaysia said in a joint
statement after Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique held a meeting with his
Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim at the latter’s office at Putrajaya on
Monday, said a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
At the invitation of the Prime Minister
of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, Tarique Rahman, Prime Minister of the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh, undertook an official visit to Malaysia on 22
June 2026.
Both sides recognised the importance of
strengthening cooperation in the energy sector as a key pillar of bilateral
economic relations. Both sides emphasize the importance of fully leveraging the
agreed MoU between the Government of Bangladesh and the Government of Malaysia
on co-operation in the field of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Supply, LNG
Infrastructure, Petroleum Products, and its infrastructure for direct bilateral
LNG discussion between PETRONAS and PetroBangla.
The visit marked Prime Minister Tarique
Rahman’s first official visit abroad and to Malaysia since assuming office on
17 February 2026. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972,
Malaysia and Bangladesh have reached significant milestones in the longstanding
partnership between the two countries, anchored in mutual respect, shared values,
and common aspirations for regional peace and prosperity. During the visit,
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was accorded an official welcoming ceremony at
the Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya. The Leaders then held an official
bilateral meeting to discuss Malaysia-Bangladesh relations and exchanged views
on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Both Leaders expressed
strong commitment to take the bilateral relations between Malaysia and
Bangladesh to further new heights. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also hosted an
official luncheon in honour of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. They witnessed
the exchange of several bilateral documents aimed at further enhancing
cooperation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
congratulated His Excellency Tarique Rahman on his appointment as the Prime
Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh as this marks a new chapter for
the Bangladesh people with hopes of peace, stability and progress.
Political Cooperation
The Leaders agreed that regular dialogue
and exchanges including high-level visits, have strengthened coordination
across various areas of bilateral cooperation, including labour cooperation.
They highlighted the importance of sustaining engagement on bilateral and
multilateral issues of mutual interest.
The Leaders acknowledged the importance
of regular dialogue through existing bilateral institutional mechanisms and in
this regard agreed to resume the long-pending Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) as
well as the Bilateral Consultations (BC) at the earliest opportunity.
Trade and Investment Cooperation
Both Leaders acknowledged the
significance of bilateral trade and investment relations, noting that
Bangladesh remains Malaysia's second-largest trading partner in South Asia. The
Leaders expressed their commitment to further strengthening economic
cooperation and facilitating two-way trade and investment.
Two leaders welcomed the progress made
towards the commencement of negotiations on the Malaysia-Bangladesh Free Trade
Agreement (MBFTA). Both sides expressed their commitment to advancing the
negotiations with a view to concluding the Agreement in 2027 for a mutually
beneficial, comprehensive and forward-looking agreement that reflects current
global trading practices.
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the
progress made in the establishment of the Malaysia-Bangladesh Joint Business
Council (JBC), which will serve as the key bilateral institutional mechanism
for structured dialogue and the exchange of ideas to facilitate active collaboration
between the private sectors of the two countries, thereby expanding bilateral
economic, trade and investment ties.
Stressing the importance of enhancing
trade, investment and sustainable economic partnership, the Leaders encouraged
greater collaboration across priority sectors including telecommunications,
energy, infrastructure (e.g, roads, bridges, elevated expressways and digital
public infrastructure), ports and logistics, halal industry, agro-processing,
education and skills development, digital economy, semiconductor, smart
manufacturing and other high-value across industries.
The Leaders further encouraged closer
cooperation between relevant government agencies, investment promotion
agencies, industry players and business communities of both countries through
investment facilitation, technical cooperation, capacity building, technology
transfer, talent development, business matching and strategic partnerships,
aiming to foster industrial upgrading, strengthen regional and global value
chain participation, and create mutually beneficial investment opportunities
for both nations.
Halal Industry
The Leaders acknowledged the significant
commercial potential of the global Islamic economy. Recognising Malaysia’s
expertise and extensive experience in the development of the halal ecosystem,
they agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in support of Bangladesh’s
development in its halal sector.
They acknowledged the Exchange of Notes
on Cooperation in the Field of Halal Ecosystem and welcomed ongoing collaboration
between the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the relevant
regulatory authorities of Bangladesh. They reaffirmed their commitment to
further enhance cooperation in areas including halal certification the
development of regulatory frameworks, capacity building and training of
professionals’ research and innovation, as well as institutional strengthening.
Digital Economy, AI and Semiconductor
Both Leaders recognized the growing
importance of digital transformation as a driver of economic growth and
competitiveness and agreed to strengthen cooperation in Artificial Intelligence
(AI), the digital economy, fintech, digital governance, cybersecurity, and
other emerging technologies. In this regard, they welcomed enhanced
collaboration and closer engagement among government agencies, research
institutions, universities, and private-sector stakeholders of the two
countries. The Leaders also agreed to promote capacity building and knowledge
sharing, leveraging Malaysia’s expertise in digital development, and encouraged
greater Malaysian investment in Bangladesh’s digital economy, including in
digital public infrastructure, technology parks, and special economic zones.
Recognizing Malaysia’s established
global footprint in semiconductor packaging, testing, and outsourced
semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) services, the Leaders agreed to bridge
this mature ecosystem with Bangladesh’s rapidly expanding IT and engineering
sector. Bangladesh proposed a bilateral talent cooperation framework under
which both countries would jointly develop and systematically upskill
Bangladeshi engineering graduates through structured programs, including
exchange of experts and sharing of best practices. Such cooperation can
contribute to supply chain resilience and regional co-operation in the
semiconductor industry.
Labour Cooperation
The Leaders recognised the importance of
people-to-people connectivity and welcomed the contribution of Bangladeshi
workers to the development of Malaysia. They further noted that the Bangladeshi
expatriate community plays a part in fostering bilateral exchanges and shared
economic activities between Malaysia and Bangladesh.
Malaysia acknowledged Bangladesh’s
proposal regarding the recruitment of workers. In line with Malaysia’s current
policy on foreign labour intake, both sides recognised that approvals for new
foreign worker quotas are currently evaluated strictly on a case-by-case basis,
contingent upon verified employer requirements and sectoral ceilings. For any
such approved quotas, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the
recruitment process is transparent, fair, non-discriminatory, and competitive,
utilising only credible and qualified recruitment agencies.
Both countries have agreed to convene
the Joint Working Group (JWG) to ensure the continued, safe, and mutually
beneficial migration of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia. The meeting will focus
on evaluating the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and laying the
groundwork to draft a new, updated MoU that meets the current needs of both
nations.
Education and Tourism Cooperation
Recognising the presence of around
11,000 Bangladeshi students in Malaysia, and their positive contribution to
academic exchange and socio-economic linkages between Bangladesh and Malaysia,
as well as the value they bring upon returning to Bangladesh, both Leaders
agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of education, including through University-to-University
partnerships and joint research programs, focusing on technical and vocational
education (TVET).
Both sides emphasised on expanding
mutually recognised qualifications, joint degree programmes and flexible
learning pathways. The Leaders also stressed on the importance of aligning
academic programmes with labour market needs and priority sectors in both
countries, with particular focus on graduate mobility and skills development.
Both Leaders expressed optimism in
expanding tourism cooperation, particularly in light of Malaysia’s “Visit
Malaysia 2026” (VM2026) and “Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026” (MYMT2026)
campaigns. Malaysia extended a warm welcome to Bangladeshi travellers, and the
leaders agreed to enhance tourism promotion and cultural exchanges between the
two countries.
Defence and Security Cooperation
The Leaders commended the excellent,
longstanding ties in defence cooperation, anchored by regular high-level
military visits, personnel training programs, and goodwill naval port calls.
Both Leaders committed to fully operationalizing the MoU on Defence Cooperation
to broaden strategic collaboration in military science, technical expertise,
and defence industry partnerships. They looked forward to the convening of the
bilateral Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) to chart a structured
defence roadmap.
Both Leaders underscored the importance
of enhancing defence capacity and capability through courses and training
programmes, including mutual seat allocations at their respective National
Defence Colleges and Command and Staff Colleges. They further reaffirmed their
commitment to supporting United Nations peacekeeping operations through joint
tactical exercises, pre-deployment training collaboration, and the exchange of
expertise and knowledge to address an increasingly complex global security
environment.
Both Leaders reaffirmed their commitment
to strengthening bilateral cooperation in preventing and combating terrorism
and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations through intelligence
sharing, information exchange, capacity-building initiatives, training
programmes, and the sharing of best practices.
Regional and Multilateral Cooperation
Both Leaders expressed concerns over the
prolonged Rohingya crisis. Malaysia commended Bangladesh’s humanitarian
endeavour in hosting the forcibly displaced Rohingyas and reaffirmed its
solidarity with Bangladesh. Malaysia reiterated its commitment to support
efforts aimed at achieving a lasting resolution of the crisis which lies in the
safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas to
Myanmar. Bangladesh expressed appreciation for Malaysia's continued support and
principled advocacy on the Rohingya issue at the bilateral, regional, and
international platforms, including within ASEAN, the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), the United Nations, and other multilateral forums. Prime
Minister Tarique Rahman reiterated Bangladesh’s strong desire to formalize its
engagement with ASEAN by pursuing ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner status. Prime
Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcomed Bangladesh’s interest and expressed Malaysia's
readiness to constructively support Dhaka’s aspirations within the ASEAN
framework.
The Malaysian side expressed its support
for Bangladesh’s aspiration to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP), recognizing its growing economic significance and strategic
role in the region. Both Leaders noted that Bangladesh’s future participation
would strengthen regional economic integration, trade, investment, and supply
chains. The Bangladeshi side expressed its appreciation for Malaysia’s support
and reaffirmed its commitment to undertaking the necessary measures towards
accession to the Agreement.
The Leaders exchanged views on the
situation in the Middle East and reiterated their support for a just and
lasting peace for the Palestinian people and expressed support for continued
dialogue and diplomatic efforts towards a durable and comprehensive peace in
the region.
The leaders emphasised the importance of
joint efforts in addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges
such as climate change, food security, human trafficking and transnational
crime. Both Leaders emphasised the need to address these challenges in a
holistic manner.
The two leaders also acknowledged the
importance of coordinated actions within international organisations such as
the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). They
also committed to jointly supporting initiatives to strengthen the world order,
justice, and compliance with international law.
Prime
Minister Tarique Rahman expressed deep appreciation and sincere gratitude to
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Government of Malaysia for the warm
welcome and gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation during the
visit.
