Strengthening Bangladesh-Malaysia Ties: Malaysian Home Minister’s visit to Bangladesh

Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail visited Bangladesh recently to discuss various issues, including Rohingya repatriation and recruitment of Bangladeshis for Malaysia. The meeting was held with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and was attended by a 15-member delegation from Malaysia.

Malaysia was one of the first south-east Asian countries to recognise the independence of Bangladesh. 

Recruitment of Bangladeshi Workers

During the meeting, Bangladesh Home Minister requested his counterpart to recruit professional and trained Ansars and retired members of the law enforcement agencies from Bangladesh to provide security in Malaysia. The Malaysian minister expressed his keenness in recruiting security guards from Bangladesh.

It is worth noting that in December, 2021 Bangladesh and Malaysia signed an MoU in Kuala Lumpur lifting the moratorium on importing labor imposed by Malaysia due to allegations of malpractices and irregularities by a group of 10 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies.

Currently, some 2-3 lakh Bangladeshis live in Malaysia.

Rohingya Repatriation

Bangladesh sought Malaysia’s cooperation in repatriating the Rohingyas who were forcibly displaced from Myanmar. The Malaysian minister assured Bangladesh of Malaysia’s continued cooperation in the repatriation of the Rohingyas along with other international efforts, including the United Nations.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, over 100,000 Rohingyas are registered with UNHCR in Malaysia. 

Training and Exchange of Knowledge

Bangladesh Home Minister requested Malaysia to arrange a training program for Bangladeshi law enforcers to increase their efficiency and capacity. The two ministers also agreed on exchanging mutual knowledge and information between their respective law enforcement agencies.

The visit of the Malaysian Home Affairs Minister to Bangladesh was significant as it opened new avenue of cooperation between the two countries. The recruitment of Bangladeshi security guards and the exchange of knowledge and information between their law enforcement agencies will definitely benefit both countries in the long run.