Malaysia’s Anwar arrives in Bangladesh to discuss trade, migrant workers with interim leader Yunus

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Bangladesh’s capital on Friday to meet with interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who took over in August after the former prime minister fled during a mass uprising.

Anwar’s hourslong visit will focus on trade and investment, migrant workers and the Rohingya refugee crisis, officials and media reports said.

Yunus received Anwar in Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport where he was welcomed with gun salutes and a red carpet reception.

It is the first visit by a foreign leader to Bangladesh since Yunus took over on Aug. 8 after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India . It is also the first state visit by a Malaysian leader to Bangladesh in 11 years.

Anwar, who is arriving from Pakistan, is leading a 58-member delegation.

Next year, Malaysia will chair the Association for Southeast Asian Nations, and Bangladesh is eager to increase its trade with that region.

Bangladesh is also pursuing a policy of increasingly involving ASEAN in resolving the Rohingya refugee crisis. More than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live in camps in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh was Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia in 2023, with total trade reaching $2.78 billion, according to official figures.

Malaysia is also one of the leading destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers. About 800,000 Bangladeshi workers are employed as low-skilled workers in Malaysia’s construction, manufacturing, plantation and services sectors. But the recruiting process is often corrupt, and allegations of rights violations by Malaysian employers and Bangladeshi recruiting agencies are rampant.

More than 6,000 Bangladeshi students study at Malaysian higher education institutions, according to 2023 figures.

Julhas Alam, The Associated Press