Dhaka, Oct 04 (V7N): Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was given a red carpet reception upon his arrival in Dhaka on Friday for a brief official visit aimed at elevating relations between the two countries.

Leading a 58-member delegation, PM Ibrahim arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2 PM, where he was greeted by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus with a gun salute and a guard of honor. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, along with the Malaysian and Bangladeshi high commissioners, were also present at the reception.

This marks the first visit by a Malaysian prime minister to Bangladesh in nearly a decade and is the first official visit by any head of government since the interim government was formed on August 8.

PM Ibrahim was escorted to Hotel InterContinental, where he will stay for the duration of his brief visit. A bilateral meeting between the Malaysian Prime Minister and Prof Yunus will take place at the hotel, followed by a joint press statement.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of topics, including economic cooperation, trade, investment, education, technology, manpower export, infrastructure development, defense, and communications. Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain highlighted that these issues are of mutual interest to both nations.

Currently, approximately 800,000 Bangladeshis live and work in Malaysia, with 450,000 having migrated between August 2022 and May 2024.

The Malaysian Prime Minister will also hold a private meeting with Prof Yunus before the bilateral discussions, after which the Chief Adviser will host high tea in his honor. Additionally, PM Ibrahim is set to meet President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban, where he will sign the visitor’s book.

Malaysia is poised to become the next chair of ASEAN in January 2025, and discussions on the Rohingya crisis and Bangladesh’s aspiration to become a "Sectoral Dialogue Partner" in ASEAN will also take place during the visit.

"This visit holds great significance in terms of deepening bilateral relations," said Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. The visit underscores the strong friendship and evolving cooperation between Bangladesh and Malaysia.

The Malaysian delegation includes the foreign minister, trade and investment minister, deputy ministers of transport and religious affairs, members of parliament, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prof Yunus, who has long-standing ties with Malaysia, extended the invitation for this visit in August. Malaysian companies have already invested over $5 billion in Bangladesh and are exploring further opportunities in areas like education and car manufacturing.

The Malaysian Prime Minister will depart Dhaka at 6:25 PM.

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