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Bangladesh seeks closer engagement with ASEAN and aspires to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of the Association of South East Asian Nations, the country's Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, who is currently on an official visit to Malaysia, said on Monday.
"Bangladesh seeks closer engagement with ASEAN and aspires to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner. We are also interested in joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). I appreciate Malaysia's support for Bangladesh's regional integration efforts", said Rahman during a joint Press Conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya. ASEAN currently maintains Sectoral Dialogue Partnerships with nine countries. These partnerships focus on cooperation in specific, agreed-upon areas (such as trade, energy, and education) rather than across all sectors. The RCEP is the world's largest free trade bloc and connects the 11- member states of ASEAN with major Asia-Pacific economies. Rahman, who is on his first official foreign tour since assuming office, held a one-on-one meeting with Anwar Ibrahim, followed by delegation-level bilateral talks. Among the discussions included ICT, energy, infrastructure, manpower, halal industry, agro-processing, education, skills development, defence, digital economy, semiconductors, and other high-value sectors. The two Prime Ministers also discussed regional and international issues. "Today, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening Bangladesh-Malaysia relations. We agree to enhance engagement through existing mechanisms, including the Joint Commission Meeting and bilateral consultations between our Foreign Ministries. We also welcome the growth of bilateral trade and agree to move forward with negotiations on the Bangladesh-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement," the Bangladesh PM said. "We have restored political stability through a democratic process. Our priority is to create jobs, attract foreign investment, and accelerate economic growth. We are building a business-friendly environment and creating new opportunities for investors. I see strong potential for Malaysian investment in Bangladesh and warmly invite Malaysian businesses to explore these opportunities", Rahman said, addressing the joint press conference. "Bangladeshi workers, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs in Malaysia serve as an important bridge between our two countries. Their contributions benefit both our economies and societies. I requested His Excellency Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to consider recruiting more Bangladeshi workers, as well as to open the labour market as soon as possible", Rahman said. The Bangladesh PM further said that he has "also raised issues relating to the regularisation of irregular workers, and repatriation of the detained Bangladeshis, if possible." "We agree that recruitment should be transparent, fair, and affordable, reducing intermediaries and lowering costs for workers", Rahman said. "I express deep concern for the Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh and thank Malaysia for its continued support for their safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation to Myanmar," the Bangladesh Prime Minister said. Both leaders witnessed the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cultural Cooperation, as well as two Exchanges of Notes (EoN) in the fields of Counter-Terrorism Research and Investment Promotion and Facilitation as per Bernama. The Malaysian news outlet pegged the total trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh in 2025 as USD 2.84 billion. Malaysia's total exports to Bangladesh were valued at USD 2.35 billion, with petroleum products constituting the principal export. Imports from Bangladesh amounted to USD 500 million, comprising mainly textiles, apparel, and footwear. According to the Bernama report, Bangladesh is Malaysia's 28th largest trading partner globally, with total trade amounting to RM12.18 billion, and its second-largest trading partner, export destination and source of imports in the South Asia region after India. Rahman arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on a two-day official visit. He is next scheduled to visit China. Rahman had assumed office in February this year after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) received a strong mandate in the parliamentary elections. (ANI)
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