Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has urged Malaysia to provide multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi workers so that they can easily return home as needed.

When Malaysian High Commissioner Mohammad Suhada Osman met with the Chief Advisor at the state guest house Jamuna in the capital on Monday, January 13, Dr. Yunus raised the issue and called for ensuring the entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers who could not join work within the stipulated time frame in May next year.

The High Commissioner said a joint technical committee comprising officials from Malaysia and Bangladesh met in Kuala Lumpur on December 31 on this issue and another meeting is planned for Tuesday on the same issue.

Recalling the meeting held with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Dhaka last October, the Chief Advisor expressed hope that Malaysia would expedite the process so that the next batch of Bangladeshi workers can plan to go to Malaysia for work.

The Principal Advisor congratulated Malaysia on assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship from January 1, 2025, and called for support for Bangladesh to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and later a full member, saying that ASEAN's support will be needed in the upcoming international conference to be held under the initiative of the United Nations in 2025 to resolve the Rohingya crisis, based on UN General Assembly Resolution 79/182.

He urged the new Malaysian High Commissioner, who will be appointed in December 2024, to work on more Malaysian investment and factory relocation in Bangladesh, so as to harness the youth power of Bangladesh. The Chief Advisor said, "I hope that during your stay in Bangladesh, the relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia will become closer in terms of economy and business."

The Principal Advisor said that Bangladesh is waiting for a convenient date from Malaysia for the fourth Bilateral Consultations Mechanism (BCM) event in Kuala Lumpur. Bangladesh is ready to host the fifth Joint Commission Meeting at the Foreign Minister level in Dhaka in mid-2025.