Diplomatic Desk:
Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Minister, Humayun Kabir, held a meeting with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The meeting took place on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the steady progress in the historic and friendly relations between the two nations. Recalling the historic state visit to Malaysia by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Tareque Rahman, in June of this year, they reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties. During the discussion, the Malaysian Foreign Minister expressed hope that Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim would visit Dhaka at a mutually convenient time.
The meeting covered various areas of bilateral cooperation, in addition to issues concerning the Bangladeshi diaspora. Both sides placed particular emphasis on expanding trade and investment, as well as the prompt conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Furthermore, the two sides discussed the necessity of establishing a joint inspection and monitoring mechanism to ensure that the recruitment process for Bangladeshi workers in the Malaysian labor market becomes more transparent, fair, and orderly. Both parties underscored the importance of this initiative in ensuring transparency in recruitment and addressing existing challenges in migration management.
During the meeting, the Malaysian Foreign Minister expressed support for Bangladesh’s aspiration to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. Additionally, he assured that Malaysia would extend its support for Bangladesh’s efforts to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
