MALAYSIA, BANGLADESH MUST ACTIVELY ADVANCE TRADE COOPERATION, ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Bangladesh need to actively pursue trade cooperation and economic diplomacy, alongside further strengthening and elevating their already warm and cordial relations. 

This call was made by Malaysia's outgoing High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Haznah Md Hashim.

She said Malaysia and Bangladesh share close economic ties, and deep cultural connections, and collaborate closely in multilateral forums.

"Apart from further strengthening and elevating the existing warm and cordial relations between the two countries, I envisage the need to actively pursue trade cooperation and economic diplomacy.

“As such, my ultimate aim is to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA),” she told Bernama.

She added that both Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bangladesh's Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, agreeing to move forward in this direction.

On Bangladesh's quest to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Haznah said Malaysia strongly supports the idea.

"Bangladesh has a lot of potential due to its geolocation at the centre of two regions -- Southeast Asia and South Asia," she said.

With Bangladesh being a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), its greater engagement with ASEAN will "strengthen cross-regional cooperation".

Malaysia as the ASEAN chair for 2025 also expects greater cooperation with Bangladesh on the Rohingya problem.

"As Malaysia has also been impacted directly by the Rohingya crisis, it will be among the priorities of ASEAN during Malaysia's chairmanship in 2025. I believe close cooperation with Bangladesh in this matter is much anticipated and welcomed," she said.

Meanwhile, Haznah said as members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation (D-8) Malaysia and Bangladesh have made their presence felt on global platforms and in intra-Islamic affairs.

Malaysia and Bangladesh always "optimise their presence and membership in these organisations" to strengthen bilateral relations, grow trade as well as raise their voice on global issues such as the plight of Palestinians and Rohingyas, she said.

Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations on Jan 31, 1972, Haznah said Malaysia and Bangladesh have seen the relationship grow "by leaps and bounds, especially in the past decade”.

Bangladesh is Malaysia's 30th-largest trading partner and 20th-largest export destination.

Among South Asian nations, Bangladesh is Malaysia's second biggest trade partner while a number of Malaysian companies have invested in the nation of more than 170 million people.

The food sector offers significant avenues for Malaysia-Bangladesh future cooperation, Haznah said, pointing out a number of culinary similarities.

"There are obvious similarities with regard to our gastronomy in which herbs and spices are important. This opens up possibilities of collaboration between Malaysia and Bangladesh in the areas of food processing and production, as well as the halal industry," the envoy said.

Meanwhile, Haznah described her Dhaka posting as the "most memorable" of all her overseas stints while reflecting on the momentous events that took place during her stay.

The initial period was full of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic but she expressed happiness that Malaysia-Bangladesh relations have grown tremendously.

She highlighted the sharp post-pandemic revival in Malaysia-Bangladesh cooperation, which produced new trade and business activities, including in medical tourism, education and the telecommunication sector.

She described the recent protests and the formation of the interim government led by Yunus as "an unprecedented historical event." Yunus holds the title of Chief Adviser, which is the prime minister equivalent, in the new administration.

Haznah said Anwar’s visit to Dhaka on Oct 4, the first by any head of government since the interim administration was set up in August, was a reflection of the close historical links between the two countries.

"I believe the major strengths of Malaysia-Bangladesh relations are due to the fact that both countries share a common identity as the Muslim-majority nation," she said.

In a poignant recollection, the outgoing high commissioner remembered her mother Hajah Hamidah Omar's passing in Dhaka in January 2022 during the pandemic period.

"It was such a devastating loss on foreign soil," she said, adding that the pain became more bearable due to being "in the embrace of Dhaka".

The envoy left Bangladesh on Friday at the end of her four-year tenure.

--BERNAMA