Chief Adviser of Bangladesh to Visit Malaysia on Monday; Five MOUs to Be Signed

Melbourne, August 11— At the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus will embark on a three-day official visit to Malaysia on Monday. During this bilateral visit, five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed in various sectors including defense, energy, and halal food, along with the exchange of three Notes.

Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Azad Majumder, confirmed the information in a press release on Sunday.

Accompanying the Chief Adviser on this visit will be the Foreign Affairs Adviser, the Adviser for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Adviser for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the National Security Adviser, and the Special Envoy for International Affairs, among other high-level delegates.

According to the itinerary, on the first day of the visit (August 11), the Chief Adviser will be given a Guard of Honour and a formal reception. On August 12, Dr. Muhammad Yunus will hold a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya. This will be followed by a bilateral meeting at the delegation level, during which MoUs will be signed on defense cooperation, energy cooperation, formation of a business council, collaboration with Malaysian institution MIMOS, and cooperation between BIISS (Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies) and Malaysia’s ISIS (Institute of Strategic and International Studies). In addition, three Notes will be exchanged focusing on the halal ecosystem, higher education, and diplomatic training academies.

Following the bilateral meetings, a joint press conference and state luncheon will be held. In the afternoon, Dr. Yunus will participate in a business forum and later engage in a discussion with the Bangladeshi expatriate community.

Key topics of discussion will include recruitment of new Bangladeshi workers, increasing professional employment opportunities, and ensuring better facilities for laborers. Discussions will also cover the expansion of trade and investment, energy cooperation, halal economy, the semiconductor industry, agriculture, education, and people-to-people ties.

Bangladesh’s aspiration to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN and its application to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will also be strongly emphasized.

Furthermore, the Chief Adviser is expected to urge Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to play a more active role in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

On the final day of the visit, August 13, Muhammad Yunus will pay a courtesy call on Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, the Chancellor of UKM University and the ruler of Negeri Sembilan. Later, UKM will confer an honorary doctorate degree on him. At the same event, the Chief Adviser will deliver a keynote address to students.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that this visit will elevate the bilateral and economic ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia to new heights, reinforcing mutual respect, trust, and cooperation.