Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday reiterated his call for Malaysia’s support for Bangladesh’s bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
The appeal came during a meeting with Nurul Izzah Anwar, vice president of Malaysia’s People’s Justice Party and daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, at the State Guest House Jamuna.
“We want to become a part of Asean, and we will be needing your support,” said the chief adviser.
Bangladesh formally applied to become a sectoral dialogue partner of Asean in 2020.
Expressing hope, the chief adviser said Malaysia, as the current chair of Asean, will play a proactive role in advancing Bangladesh’s application to become a sectoral dialogue partner, eventually paving the way for full membership in the regional bloc.
At the beginning of the meeting, Nurul Izzah Anwar extended her condolences over last week's deadly fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka.
“It is a tragic and sad event for our country. We lost so many people,” the chief adviser responded.
He also congratulated the Malaysian politician on her new position. “Congratulations on becoming the vice president of your political party,” he said.
During the discussion, the chief adviser shed light on Bangladesh’s recent political transition and reform initiatives taken by the interim government.
“We are going through a reform process. Our students took bullets in their chests to overthrow the fascist Hasina regime. It began as a youth-led movement, but people from all walks of life joined in,” he said.
“Students painted the walls and streets with the spirit of the July uprising,” he added.
Encouraging greater economic ties, the chief adviser urged Malaysian companies to invest in Bangladesh. “Asia is ageing rapidly, but Bangladesh has a large youth population. Half of our people are under the age of 27. Set up your industries here and export from Bangladesh. It will benefit both our economies,” he said.
Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy for International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi and Senior Secretary and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed were also present at the meeting.