The government is going to deepen bilateral relations with Malaysia through the upcoming visit of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, with the main focus of the trip being holding talks on migration and the second focus being investment.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam made the statement during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon, briefing reporters on the visit.
Shafiqul said the chief adviser will leave for Malaysia on Monday on a three-day state visit.
Calling it a very important visit, he said many agreements will be signed over the three days.
Yunus is travelling to Malaysia at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Notably, Anwar Ibrahim came to Bangladesh last October at the invitation of Muhammad Yunus.
The press secretary noted that Malaysia is a very important country for Bangladesh’s manpower sector.
“We can take our migration cooperation to a level where Malaysia recruits the highest number of workers from us,” he said. “There will be discussions on these matters, and based on those discussions some agreements will be signed.”
He also mentioned that the Bangladesh side will hold talks with the chief executives of some of Malaysia’s largest companies.
The chief adviser will meet the Malaysian prime minister in the city of Putrajaya on Tuesday. Five memoranda of understanding are likely to be signed during the visit.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun are likely to accompany the chief adviser on the visit that will see a series of other meetings in addition to bilateral talks.
Last October, the Malaysian prime minister made an official visit to Bangladesh, the first by any head of government since Bangladesh’s interim government assumed office. He was accompanied by a 58-member delegation, including ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament and senior Malaysian officials.
Program schedule
The official welcome ceremony for Yunus will be held on Tuesday morning at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will receive the chief adviser.
Yunus will receive a guard of honour as the national anthems of both countries will be played.
He will then be introduced to the Malaysian delegation and will, in turn, present the Bangladeshi delegation to the prime minister before signing the guest book.
Upon his arrival at Bunga Raya VVIP Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, on Monday, Yunus will be welcomed at the boarding bridge by Malaysia’s chief of protocol.
He will then be escorted to the VVIP Complex, where he will be welcomed by Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail and accorded a static guard of honour.
Following delegation-level talks, the two leaders will witness the exchange of MoUs and notes, after which they will address a joint press conference.
The Malaysian prime minister will also host an official lunch in honour of Yunus in Putrajaya.
The chief adviser will later attend a business forum jointly organized by the Bangladesh High Commission, BIDA, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), where the formation of the Bangladesh-Malaysia Joint Business Council will be announced.
The chief adviser will attend a series of courtesy meetings before joining dinner to be hosted by the high commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia.
On Wednesday morning, Prof Yunus will visit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
The king of Negeri Sembilan and chancellor of UKM, Malaysia’s minister of higher education, pro-chancellors, and vice-chancellors will attend the ceremony, where Yunus will be presented with an academic gown.
Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun will hold talks with the vice president of Petronas.
Separate meetings have been requested for Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul and Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi with Malaysia’s minister for human resources, minister for agriculture and food security (fisheries and deep-sea fishing), and minister for sports.
The chief adviser is scheduled to return to Dhaka on Wednesday night.
Body cameras
In response to a question about the use of body cameras during elections, Shafiqul said: “We can ensure better security by using body-worn cameras at polling stations. AI is involved in this, due to which the SP or OC can monitor from a certain distance.”
He added: “If law and order in any place deteriorates, they can intervene very quickly. This is very important, and on Saturday the chief adviser said that they should be purchased very quickly.
“Our goal is free and fair elections. We are buying these body-worn cameras so that everyone can vote with great enthusiasm, so that we can ensure the security of 47,000 polling stations.”
