PUTRAJAYA — Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman concluded an 18-hour official visit to Malaysia on June 22, 2026, resulting in a 33-point joint statement. The visit marked Rahman's first foreign trip since forming the government in February 2026.

Rahman and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held one-on-one and bilateral meetings in Putrajaya on June 22, followed by a joint press conference. The leaders agreed to advance the process of signing a free trade agreement by 2027 and committed to fully implementing an existing Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation. They agreed to form a Joint Committee to develop a "Defense Roadmap" and share intelligence on military science, U.N. peacekeeping missions, and counterterrorism.

Rahman requested the reopening of Malaysia's labor market, a reduction in migration costs for Bangladeshi workers, the elimination of syndicate dominance in labor recruitment, and the legalization of undocumented or imprisoned Bangladeshi workers. Ibrahim stated that the exploitation of workers would not be tolerated and that new foreign worker quotas would depend on sector-specific demands. He added that the recruitment process for foreign workers would be entirely transparent and competitive. The nations agreed to convene a Joint Working Group meeting to revise the existing labor MoU and sign a new one.

In economic cooperation, a Malaysia-Bangladesh Joint Business Council is being established. Rahman proposed integrating Bangladesh's IT and engineering sectors with Malaysia's Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test industry and proposed a "Talent Cooperation Framework." Bangladesh invited Malaysian investment in oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal and in the renewable energy sector. An MoU was signed between Petronas and Petrobangla for LNG supply and infrastructure development. Bangladesh also sought cooperation from Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development in the halal industry, resulting in an Exchange of Notes.

Malaysia supported Bangladesh's bid to become a "Sectoral Dialogue Partner" of ASEAN and backed its application to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue, stating it would use ASEAN and other international forums to pressure Myanmar for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The countries pledged to work jointly on the Palestinian crisis at the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, combat climate change, and prevent human trafficking. A formal MoU on cultural exchange was signed, along with two Exchanges of Notes regarding counterterrorism and investment.

Ibrahim posted a video on his official Facebook page on June 23 summarizing Rahman's visit, which included clips of a red carpet reception at the Perdana Putra building and featured the Bengali song "Amar Bondhu Moha Jadu Jane" in the background. Bangladesh's state news agency, BSS, also published the video on its social media platforms. Rahman met with the King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim during his visit. At the close of the visit, Rahman invited Ibrahim to visit Bangladesh.