CHIEF Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus was formally welcomed in a ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya this morning, during his maiden visit to Malaysia in his current capacity.
His arrival at 9am was greeted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. National anthems of both countries—Negaraku and Amar Sonar Bangla—were played before Professor Yunus inspected a guard of honour comprising three officers and 103 personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (Ceremonial), led by Major Arifuddin Mohd Yusof.
Present at the ceremony were Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof; Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Johari Abdul; and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
The two leaders later held bilateral talks focusing on strengthening Malaysia–Bangladesh ties, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, labour, education, tourism, and defence. They also discussed regional and global developments of shared concern.
Prior to the meeting, Anwar and Yunus took in the views of Putrajaya from the complex’s viewing gallery and signed the official guestbook as a gesture of diplomatic goodwill.
As part of his visit, Professor Yunus is scheduled to deliver a public lecture on Wednesday and will be conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Business by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
In 2024, bilateral trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh reached RM13.35 billion (US\$2.92 billion), marking a 5.1 per cent increase from 2023. Bangladesh remains Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner and export destination in South Asia.
Malaysia’s primary exports to Bangladesh include petroleum products, palm oil and chemical goods, while imports largely consist of textiles, footwear, petroleum products and manufactured goods.
This visit follows Yunus’s appointment as Chief Adviser after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down on 5 August 2024. - August 12, 2025
