PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will be the first foreign leader to visit Bangladeshi since the formation of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.
This was revealed by the Malaysian high commissioner to Bangladesh Haznah Hashim ahead of the visit today, Bernama reported.
“Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Bangladesh today symbolises Malaysia’s solidarity with the people of the country, who are currently facing challenging times.
This visit echoes history, as Malaysia was also the first Muslim country to recognise Bangladesh’s independence on Jan 31, 1972, she told a press conference here.
Haznah said Anwar is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Muhammad Yunus and is also expected to pay a courtesy call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin before departing for Kuala Lumpur later this evening.
According to Bernama, last year, Bangladesh was Malaysia’s 27th largest trading partner, 19th largest export destination and 47th largest source of imports, making it Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner among South Asian countries.
Last year, the total trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh reached RM12.7 billion.
