FE Report
Bangladesh and Malaysia are going to begin business talks today (Saturday) in the Malaysian province of Saba, where the current crisis stemming from people trafficking by manpower rackets may crop up.
Strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries is the main objective of the Bangladesh-Malaysia Joint Commission meeting-its fourth edition.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali will lead the Bangladesh side while Malaysian Foreign Minister Sri Anifah Aman host side at the two-day meeting, taking place after the lapse of a decade (10 years).
The last joint commission meeting was held in 2005.
A seven-member delegation comprising representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, commerce and expatriate welfare is attending the consultative meeting.
Officials said this year's meeting will focus on infrastructure development and tourism among other trade and investment issues.
They said the Malaysian side will bring free-trade-agreement issue during the discussion as the country has long been demanding signing such deal.
Sources also said the spurt of human trafficking, which came under the spotlight after the unearthing of mass graves in a Thai remote area, may come up for discussion during the meeting.
"As we will focus on sending Bangladeshi workers in new areas, issues of human trafficking may come up for discussion," said an official member of the seven-member delegation, preferring not to be named.
Asked about possibility of signing any agreement, he, however, said a joint agreed minutes is expected to be signed after the two-day meeting as there is a plan to hold the joint commission meeting biennially from now on.
"Bangladesh-Malaysia investment forum is also likely to be worked out in the meeting as it was discussed during the Bangladesh Prime Minister's visit to Malaysia in December last," he told the FE.
Malaysia is now the chairman of the Southeast Asian block named Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Officials said Bangladesh is also likely to seek Malaysia's cooperation in getting valued membership of the ASEAN.
smunima@yahoo.com
