Bangladesh Prime Minister Tareq Rahman, accompanied by his wife Zubaida Rahman, arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night at 8:45 PM local time. Upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, he was welcomed with a red carpet ceremony and a guard of honor. The guard of honor, presented by a well-decorated military contingent, played the national anthems of both countries.
Earlier at the airport's VIP terminal, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister was welcomed by Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Zulkifli Hasan and his wife. A young child, Maisa Nur Aisha, presented flowers to Zubaida Rahman. Bangladesh High Commissioner Manzoor Karim Khan Chowdhury and Deputy High Commissioner Sahanara Monika were also present.
From the airport, the Prime Minister was taken to the 'Shangri La' Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in a special motorcade. He, his wife, and the accompanying delegation will stay at this hotel during the visit. The 50-minute road from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the 'Shangri La Hotel' was decorated with the national flags of Bangladesh and Malaysia.
This is Prime Minister Tareq Rahman's first visit to Malaysia after assuming office on February 17 following the 13th National Parliament Election. The delegation accompanying the Prime Minister includes Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Minister of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Deputy Minister of Power and Energy Anindya Islam Amit, Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, Foreign Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin, Defense Adviser AKM Shamsul Islam, and others.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited Tareq Rahman shortly after he formed his government on February 17. This official visit is in response to that invitation. Bangladesh is Malaysia's largest trading partner in South Asia after China and India, although Malaysia leads significantly in bilateral trade. Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has chosen Malaysia for his first state visit.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will officially welcome the Bangladeshi Prime Minister tomorrow morning at his office in Putrajaya. There, the two Prime Ministers will first hold a private meeting followed by a high-level bilateral meeting led by the heads of both governments. The two Prime Ministers will then join a joint press conference. During this visit, two memorandums of understanding on tourism and cultural cooperation with Malaysia may be signed.
