DHAKA: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Bangladesh's capital on Friday to meet with interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who took over in August after the former prime minister fled during a mass uprising.
Anwar's hourslong visit will focus on trade and investment, migrant workers and the Rohingya refugee crisis, officials and media reports said.
Yunus received Anwar in Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport where he was welcomed with gun salutes and a red carpet reception.
It is the first visit by a foreign leader to Bangladesh since Yunus took over on Aug. 8 after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India . It is also the first state visit by a Malaysian leader to Bangladesh in 11 years.
Anwar, who is arriving from Pakistan, is leading a 58-member delegation.
Next year, Malaysia will chair the Association for Southeast Asian Nations, and Bangladesh is eager to increase its trade with that region.
Bangladesh is also pursuing a policy of increasingly involving ASEAN in resolving the Rohingya refugee crisis. More than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live in camps in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh was Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia in 2023, with total trade reaching $2.78 billion, according to official figures.
Malaysia is also one of the leading destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers. About 800,000 Bangladeshi workers are employed as low-skilled workers in Malaysia’s construction, manufacturing, plantation and services sectors. But the recruiting process is often corrupt, and allegations of rights violations by Malaysian employers and Bangladeshi recruiting agencies are rampant.
More than 6,000 Bangladeshi students study at Malaysian higher education institutions, according to 2023 figures.
Malaysia's Anwar arrives in Bangladesh to discuss trade, migrant workers with interim leader Yunus
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Malaysia's Anwar arrives in Bangladesh to discuss trade, migrant workers with interim leader Yunus
- It is the first visit by a foreign leader to Bangladesh since Yunus took over on Aug. 8 after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India
Britain restricts some visas from four nations in major overhaul
- Britain had previously said it would make refugee status temporary and speed up deportations of those who arrive illegally, in an overhaul aimed at stemming the rise of the populist Reform UK party and tackling abuse of the current system
LONDON: Britain said on Tuesday the government would end study visas from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, and work visas for Afghans, in a major crackdown as anti-immigration sentiment rises in the country.
“An ‘emergency brake’ on visas has been imposed for the first time on nationals from four countries following a surge in asylum claims from legal routes,” the Home Office said in a statement.
Britain had previously said it would make refugee status temporary and speed up deportations of those who arrive illegally, in an overhaul aimed at stemming the rise of the populist Reform UK party and tackling abuse of the current system.
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood said that “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused.”
“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity,” she added.
The Home Office said Mahmood will introduce new legislation this week to restore order and control to the country’s borders.
