'Bangladesh to remain important source of workers for Malaysia'

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah on Monday said Bangladesh will remain an important source of workers for Malaysia and the Malaysian government is easing both the recruitment and work of Bangladeshi workers.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister said this during a meeting with Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam in Kuala Lumpur, reports UNB.

Shahriar Alam is leading a four-member delegation to Kuala Lumpur to garner Malaysian support in an initiative called South and South East Asian Cooperation (SEACO).

He had a "fruitful" meeting with the Foreign Minister of Malaysia and WIEF Chairman and former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Musa Hitam and got their spontaneous support for the initiative.

Shahriar Alam said it is a private sector and track-II level Forum of five OIC countries in the region -- Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Maldives - having an objective of advancing regional economic integration.

The Forum in the emergence is going to function in the model of World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) exclusively with the agenda of economic cooperation among the member countries and their neighbourhoods, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

Bangladesh has taken the initiative and is ready to host SEACO's launching conference in Dhaka towards the end of June 2019 with the expected participation of Foreign Ministers along with the public and private stakeholders.

Two other members of State Minister's delegation are currently in the entourage of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Brunei for the same purpose.

At his meeting with the Malaysian Foreign Minister, The State Minister reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and discussed export of manpower from Bangladesh and their wellbeing, bilateral trade and investment.

The Rohingya issue also figured prominently in the discussion where they agreed enhanced role of Asean in the repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh.

The delegation is going to meet the Malaysian business community and trade and investment authorities and chambers on Tuesday.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Shaidul Islam, DG (International Organizations) of the Foreign Ministry AFM Gousal Azam Sarkar and Executive Chairman of SESCO Foundation Bangladesh Salauddin K Khan and other officials of the Ministry and Bangladesh High Commission are among the delegation.