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Published : 27 Jun 2026, 02:14 PM
Bangladesh's parliament has unanimously passed a motion thanking Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for what lawmakers called an “unprecedented success” on his state visits to Malaysia and China.
The motion was moved on Saturday morning by Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman, who is also the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, spoke in support before the motion was carried on a voice vote.
Fakhrul told parliament the prime minister had represented Bangladesh just four months into forming a government, after the country had come through nearly 18 years of what he called “fascist rule”.
The visits had strengthened ties with both Malaysia and China, he said, with 17 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed during the China leg alone.
He said both countries had indicated they would not only maintain but expand their role in Bangladesh's economic development, and had also signalled they would take steps toward resolving the Rohingya crisis.
The senior BNP leader also drew a contrast with the political culture of previous governments, saying Tarique had scrapped the practice of large welcoming ceremonies for prime ministers returning from abroad, and had instructed his party not to organise any such receptions.
Endorsing the motion, Khosru described the structural shift away from airport receptions as a major cultural change in Bangladeshi politics.
He said the premier is setting a new benchmark for future political operations.
The veteran politician argued that the foreign policy foundation of the tour aligns with the core principles established by the late president Ziaur Rahman, adding that relations must be anchored “on mutual respect, on mutual interest, on non-interference, and strategic autonomy”.
He described Malaysia as a key partner for Bangladesh’s labour market, energy security and investment, while calling China the country’s largest trading partner.
Khosru said both sides had also discussed increasing Bangladeshi exports to reduce the trade gap.
Shafiqur backed the motion, describing Malaysia and China as “longstanding and trusted friends” of Bangladesh.
He urged the government to bring all major foreign agreements before parliament in the interest of transparency and accountability, arguing that the 350 members of the House represent the country's people and should be kept informed.
He also called for short, medium, and long-term plans to diversify both exports and the sending of workers abroad, noting that Bangladesh remains heavily import-dependent, with its two main sources of foreign exchange being the ready-made garments (RMG) sector and remittances from workers overseas.
The Jamaat leader said no interference in Bangladesh's independent foreign policy would be accepted, and that all agreements must be grounded in mutual benefit.
He called on both the Treasury bench and the Opposition to move away from a culture where the ruling party claims all credit while the Opposition opposes everything, saying parliament should be at the centre of all national activity.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin said the premier’s state visits from Jun 21 to Jun 26 have opened a “new horizon in foreign policy”, consolidating national sovereignty and security while drawing global attention.
He added that the public shares this optimism, before putting the motion to a final vote.
The legislative praise follows the prime minister's return to Dhaka on Friday evening, landing at Shahjalal International Airport at 8:15pm, where he was received by Fakhrul and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam.
