Tarique Rahman sits down with Anwar Ibrahim for closed-door meeting

High-level talks will follow the initial leaders’ meeting in Malaysia’s admin capital

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has arrived and met his Malaysian counterpart to discuss a wide range of bilateral interests, including boosting two-way trade and employment of Bangladeshi workers.

The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting before moving into formal delegation-level talks, joined by senior aides at the Malaysian prime minister’s office in Putrajaya, a federal territory just outside Kuala Lumpur.

The two leaders sat down on the fifth floor of the prime ministerial office Monday at 9:30am, according to Tarique’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.

The meeting had just got under way, he said.

The private session will be followed by a high-level bilateral meeting, where both prime ministers will lead their respective delegations.

The Bangladeshi delegation includes Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir, Finance Advisor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Education Advisor Mahdi Amin, and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam.

The foreign secretary said the high-level talks will focus on expanding trade, investment, energy cooperation, the halal economy, manpower recruitment, the semiconductor industry, agriculture, education, and people-to-people contact.

After the talks, the two premiers are to hold a formal joint press conference.

Tarique, his spouse Zubaida Rahman, and the accompanying delegation will attend a luncheon hosted at the Malaysian prime minister's official residence.

Renowned Malaysian artists will perform cultural pieces at the luncheon, rendering songs in both Malay and Bengali.