Malaysia wants to further strengthen its relations with Bangladesh and explore opportunities in the areas of trade, investment and tourism, its envoy said Friday. “We see more Malaysian companies taking interest to invest in Bangladesh. Malaysian companies that are already established in Bangladesh are expanding their foothold,” said acting Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Amir Farid bin Abu Hasan.
He was addressing a discussion with journalists organised by the Malaysian High Commission at its premises in the city marking the 62nd year of Malaysia’s independence that falls on August 31. The envoy said there are a lot of activities going on to improve trade relations between the two countries. Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) organised an event in Kuala Lumpur titled ‘Showcase Bangladesh’ in July this year to promote trade and investment between the two countries.
“We’ll continue to find ways. A lot of Malaysian businesses are coming to Bangladesh,” Amir Farid said. The Southeast Asian nation, which strives to become a high-income country, is already enjoying a strong bilateral relation with Bangladesh which is moving towards a middle-income nation. “We want to take forward the relations further,” he said Farid said Malaysia’s total trade with Bangladesh was $2.37 billion last year, a 35.6 percent rise compared to the year before. Bangladesh’s export to Malaysia, however, was only $260 million.