Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dhaka on Sunday afternoon for Kuala Lumpur, beginning his first official state visit to Malaysia. The flight departed around 3 p.m., confirmed by his additional press secretary Atikur Rahman Rumman. His delegation includes his spouse Dr. Zubaida Rahman, several cabinet members, advisers, senior government officials, and personal staff. Local Government Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, among others, saw him off at the airport. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

According to Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, the two-day Malaysia trip will be followed by a four-day visit to China starting June 22. During the Malaysia visit, Bangladesh will request Kuala Lumpur to recruit more Bangladeshi workers. The foreign secretary noted that Malaysia is reviewing its foreign labor recruitment process but expressed optimism that Bangladesh will receive priority once the review concludes.

The foreign secretary also highlighted Malaysia’s early recognition of Bangladesh and its strong support on the Rohingya issue. Dhaka aims to leverage this relationship as it seeks ASEAN dialogue partner status.