Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has begun a six-day official visit to Malaysia and China aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s trade, investment, and economic partnerships across the region.
The visit, his first foreign tour since assuming office in February, will focus on attracting foreign investment, expanding export opportunities, and advancing Bangladesh’s engagement with key regional economic platforms.
During the Malaysia leg of the visit, Prime Minister Tarique will hold bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with discussions expected to cover trade cooperation, manpower exports, the halal economy, semiconductors, energy, and the proposed Bangladesh-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement. Bangladesh will also push for membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and seek Sectoral Dialogue Partner status with ASEAN.
The two countries are expected to sign a cultural cooperation memorandum and initiate formal FTA negotiations.
Following Malaysia, the prime minister will travel to China to attend the World Economic Forum’s Summer Davos Forum in Dalian before holding high-level meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping.
Officials said Bangladesh and China are likely to sign several agreements and MoUs covering investment, infrastructure, technology cooperation, and development projects. The discussions are also expected to address long-term economic cooperation and the Teesta River management project. Government officials believe the visit will open new avenues for trade, investment, and strategic economic collaboration with two of Bangladesh’s key Asian partners.
