Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is travelling to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday afternoon on his first overseas visit since taking office. He will spend two days in Malaysia before heading to the Chinese port city of Dalian.
Speaking at a press briefing at the foreign ministry on Saturday ahead of the trip, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said the prime minister would visit Malaysia on June 21–22 and China from June 23 to 26.
The visits will focus on strengthening Bangladesh’s economic, commercial and strategic ties with Kuala Lumpur and Beijing, attracting new investment, expanding overseas employment opportunities and deepening regional cooperation.
The foreign secretary said at the briefing that as many as 15 to 17 memorandums of understanding, agreements and other cooperation documents could be signed between Bangladesh and China during the visit.
He added that the Bangladeshi Prime Minister would visit Malaysia from June 21 to 22 at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Rahman will then arrive in Dalian on the evening of June 22 before joining official engagements in China from June 23 to 26.
Bangladesh has kept both delegations relatively small, with each limited to around 27 to 28 members, the foreign secretary said.
Under the Malaysia itinerary, Rahman and Anwar will hold a one-on-one meeting in Putrajaya on June 22. That will be followed by bilateral talks between the two sides covering trade and investment, energy cooperation, the halal economy, the semiconductor industry, agriculture, education and greater people-to-people connectivity.
The visit will also prioritise efforts to step up the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, expand employment opportunities for skilled and professional workers and improve welfare provisions for migrant employees.
Discussions are also expected to cover Bangladesh’s bid to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, its engagement with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) process and stronger Malaysian support over the Rohingya crisis.
Foreign Secretary Siam said Malaysia was reviewing its foreign worker recruitment process and that Dhaka would press for priority access once the review concluded. He stressed the relationship was not defined solely by labour, describing Malaysia as a vital partner in ASEAN, the Rohingya crisis and broader regional cooperation. During the visit the two sides may also sign a cultural memorandum of understanding and exchange terms of reference to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement.
From Malaysia, Rahman will travel to Dalian and attend the 17th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum’s “New Champions” — the Summer Davos — on June 23. Under the theme “Innovating at Scale”, the summit will host more than 1,700 delegates from over 90 countries to examine global economic trends, technological advances and innovation-led growth.
On the sidelines, Rahman will meet WEF President and Chief Executive Alois Zwinggi. Bilateral talks with the heads of government of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Guinea and South Korea are also possible.
On the afternoon of June 23, he will address a session titled “Climate Leadership in a Shifting Global Landscape”. He will also attend a welcome reception that evening hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang. After the main Summer Davos session on June 24, Rahman will fly to Beijing, where he will stay at the State Guest House.
The prime minister will also speak at a Bangladesh Investment Forum organised by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, pitching the country’s potential to Chinese businesses and investors. “Attracting new Chinese investment is one of the main goals of the visit,” the foreign secretary said during Saturday’s briefing.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on June 25. The two sides are expected to discuss trade, investment, infrastructure, technology, connectivity, development cooperation and future partnership. Later the same day, the Chinese prime minister will host a state banquet in honour of the Bangladeshi premier.
The foreign secretary said Bangladesh and China are currently discussing 13 memorandums of understanding, two agreements, an action plan and a protocol. If negotiations conclude successfully, between 15 and 17 documents could be signed.
Asked whether the Teesta project would feature in the talks, he said: “The scope of cooperation between the two countries is already extensive. We will hold detailed discussions on a range of issues, including water resource management and river management. The Teesta project may also come up.”
Asked about the possibility of deeper Bangladeshi involvement in China’s various global initiatives, the foreign secretary said: “Bangladesh views China’s various initiatives positively. However, we will have a clearer picture about participation in any new initiative only after the visit.”
Responding to a question on Chinese support for strengthening Bangladesh’s military capabilities, he said: “Defence cooperation between the two countries has a long history. Existing areas of cooperation may be discussed, but it isn’t possible at this stage to comment on any specific procurement programme.”
During his stay in Beijing, the prime minister is scheduled to hold separate meetings with the minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese minister of water resources, the chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency and the chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China.
On June 26, Rahman will meet Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. He will later hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with discussions covering a range of important bilateral, regional and global issues.
After meeting Xi Jinping, Tarique Rahman will leave Beijing for Dhaka later that afternoon.
The foreign secretary said the government expects the visit to elevate the existing Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Bangladesh and China to a new level. It also expects Bangladesh’s relations with both Malaysia and China to become deeper and more multidimensional.