Dhaka: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on Malaysia to issue multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi workers employed in the country, to facilitate their return home when needed. The appeal was made during a meeting with Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Mohd Shuhada Othman, at the State Guest House Jamuna.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the chief adviser also requested the High Commissioner to facilitate the entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers who missed the deadline to join their work in Malaysia in May of the previous year. The Malaysian envoy highlighted that a joint technical committee comprising officials from both Malaysia and Bangladesh convened in Kuala Lumpur on December 31, with another meeting set for Tuesday.
During the discussion, Prof Yunus recalled his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Dhaka in October and expressed hope that Malaysia would expedite the visa process to enable the next group of Bangladeshi workers to plan their migration for work purposes. He also extended congratulations to Malaysia for assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN from January 1, 2025, and sought support for Bangladesh's bid to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, with the ultimate goal of achieving full membership.
Prof Yunus further communicated Bangladesh's desire for ASEAN support in the upcoming International Conference on the Rohingya Crisis, which is to be convened by the UN in 2025, in accordance with UNGA Resolution 79/182. He encouraged the newly appointed Malaysian high commissioner to work on increasing Malaysian investment in Bangladesh and relocating Malaysian factories to benefit from Bangladesh's youthful workforce.
Expressing optimism, Prof Yunus remarked, "I hope that during your stay in Bangladesh, the relationship between Bangladesh and Malaysia will reach a new level of closeness on economic and business levels." Additionally, he mentioned that Bangladesh is looking forward to a suitable date from Malaysia to participate in the 4th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) in Kuala Lumpur.
Prof Yunus also stated that Bangladesh is prepared to host the Foreign Minister-level '5th Joint Commission' meeting in Dhaka, preferably by mid-2025. Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary to SDG affairs, was present at the occasion.