NEW DELHI, Oct 19 – Malaysia and Bangladesh need to actively pursue trade cooperation and economic diplomacy, alongside further strengthening and elevating their already warm and cordial relations.
This call was made by Malaysia’s outgoing High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Haznah Md Hashim.
She said Malaysia and Bangladesh share close economic ties, and deep cultural connections, and collaborate closely in multilateral forums.
“Apart from further strengthening and elevating the existing warm and cordial relations between the two countries, I envisage the need to actively pursue trade cooperation and economic diplomacy.
“As such, my ultimate aim is to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA),” she told Bernama.
She added that both Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, agreeing to move forward in this direction.
On Bangladesh’s quest to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Haznah said Malaysia strongly supports the idea.
“Bangladesh has a lot of potential due to its geolocation at the centre of two regions — Southeast Asia and South Asia,” she said.
With Bangladesh being a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), its greater engagement with ASEAN will “strengthen cross-regional cooperation”.
Malaysia as the ASEAN chair for 2025 also expects greater cooperation with Bangladesh on the Rohingya problem.
“As Malaysia has also been impacted directly by the Rohingya crisis, it will be among the priorities of ASEAN during Malaysia’s chairmanship in 2025. I believe close cooperation with Bangladesh in this matter is much anticipated and welcomed,” she said.
Bangladesh is Malaysia’s 30th-largest trading partner and 20th-largest export destination.
Among South Asian nations, Bangladesh is Malaysia’s second biggest trade partner while a number of Malaysian companies have invested in the nation of more than 170 million people.
