Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today urged Malaysia to reopen its labour market to Bangladeshi workers as soon as possible and recruit more workers from Bangladesh.

“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,” Tarique said while addressing a joint press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim following bilateral talks in Putrajaya.

Tarique said he also raised issues relating to the regularisation of undocumented Bangladeshi workers and the possible repatriation of detained Bangladeshis.

He said both sides agreed that worker recruitment should be transparent, fair and affordable, with fewer intermediaries and lower migration costs.

The bilateral meeting was held at Perdana Putra, the office of the Malaysian prime minister.

“We have discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international developments. 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,” he said.

He welcomed the growth in bilateral trade and said the two countries had agreed to move forward with negotiations on a Bangladesh-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Tarique noted that one of the first congratulatory calls he received after assuming office as prime minister in February came from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“ My wife and I are delighted to be here on my first foreign visit as prime minister,” he said.

“Our friendship is built on mutual trust, shared values and strong people-to-people ties,” he added.

The bilateral talks followed a one-on-one meeting between Tarique Rahman and Anwar Ibrahim aimed at deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The closed-door meeting began around 9:30am local time at Perdana Putra.

Earlier, Tarique arrived at the prime minister's office with his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, at around 9:00am local time and was accorded a red-carpet welcome by his Malaysian counterpart.

The Bangladesh delegation at the bilateral meeting included Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, State Minister for Power and Energy Aninda Islam Amit, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kabir, Finance and Planning Affairs Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Education Adviser Mahdi Amin, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and other senior officials.