Issue multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi workers, Malaysia told

PETALING JAYA: The head of Bangladesh’s interim government has called for Malaysia to issue multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi workers employed in the country to facilitate their return home when required.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who met newly-appointed Malaysian high commissioner to Bangladesh Shuhada Othman in Dhaka today, also said he hopes that Malaysia will facilitate the entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers into the country after they missed the deadline last May.

Muhammad wants Malaysia to expedite the process so that the next batch of Bangladeshi workers can plan their migration to the country for work, reported Bangladesh’s official news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

During his visit to Bangladesh in October, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Putrajaya will give due consideration to Bangladeshis who lost the opportunity to seek work in Malaysia because of political turmoil in their country.

Muhammad also urged Shuhada to work on attracting more Malaysian investment to Bangladesh as well as relocate Malaysian factories to the country to capitalise on its young workforce.

Boost trade, investment with FTA

Shuhada held a separate meeting with Bangladesh’s commerce adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, who said the country wants to boost bilateral trade and investment relations through the implementation of a free trade agreement (FTA).

“Bangladesh has already started negotiating with South Korea, Japan and Singapore to sign FTAs. Similar negotiations need to start soon to boost trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh, which will ultimately benefit both countries,” Bashir said.

Stating that the Malaysian labour market is crucial for Bangladesh as a large part of the country’s foreign currency reserves come from remittances sent by Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia, Bashir said Bangladesh is looking to export more skilled manpower to Malaysia.

Noting that Malaysia has invested heavily in the semiconductor sector, Shuhada acknowledged that the industry requires skilled manpower, such as semiconductor designers.

“We want to provide Bangladeshi students with opportunities to work there (Malaysia) through necessary training and education,” Shuhada said.

Bangladesh is Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner among South Asian countries.

Total trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh reached RM12.7 billion in 2023, Bernama reported.