Dhaka: Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus stated that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Dhaka last year provided a critical morale boost to Bangladesh as the nation was recovering from political turmoil.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Nobel Prize laureate discussed Anwar’s impactful visit during an exclusive interview with Malaysian National News Agency Bernama, prior to concluding his official visit to Malaysia this week.
Yunus, who assumed leadership of the interim government on August 8, 2024, reflected on the challenging period following the youth-led July uprising that resulted in the ousting of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He compared the situation to a ‘magnitude 9 earthquake’, describing it as a period where ‘everything was destroyed, in a big mess, and nothing was functioning – only anger erupted’.
He highlighted the enormity of the task facing the interim government, stating, “We were given the responsibility of running the country in a very difficult situation. It was an extremely difficult job.” Yunus expressed that despite the daunting circumstances, Anwar’s visit in October 2024 was a beacon of hope and encouragement for the people of Bangladesh.
Anwar was the first foreign leader to visit Bangladesh two months after the Yunus-led administration was established. Yunus emphasized the significance of the visit, noting, “He gave us hope. His visit was enormously exciting to the people. Malaysia is well known to the people in Bangladesh because so many Bangladeshis are here, and their families are here.”
During his own recent visit to Malaysia, Yunus engaged in discussions with Anwar on enhancing Malaysia-Bangladesh relations, focusing on areas such as trade, investment, labour, education, tourism, and defence. He also met with various local leaders and business figures to promote bilateral ties. Yunus was optimistic about the outcomes of his visit, stating, “We had a wonderful and very successful visit, I must say. We are very happy with the visit.”
Malaysia has been a long-standing partner of Bangladesh, with trade relations dating back to 1972. In 2024, trade between the two countries increased by 5.1 percent to RM13.35 billion (US$2.92 billion), with Bangladesh being Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia. The visit reinforces the strong diplomatic ties and aims to further cooperation in mutually beneficial areas.