Govt wants to export skilled workers: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that the government aims to send workers abroad only after providing them with adequate training. He believes that exporting a well-prepared workforce will add value and yield better outcomes.

He made the remarks on Sunday while addressing an interaction meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates at the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

At the beginning of his speech, the Prime Minister said he wanted to share some of his thoughts with the expatriate community. Recalling his last visit to Malaysia in 2014 to see his younger brother, Arafat Rahman Koko, he noted that Malaysia's roads and public spaces are remarkably clean.

"Our expatriate brothers are also contributing to keeping this country clean. If we can maintain such cleanliness abroad, why can't we do the same in our own country?" he said.

The Prime Minister said that shortly after he was elected, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called to congratulate him and invited him to visit Malaysia. A bilateral meeting between the two leaders is scheduled for Monday.

"There is considerable curiosity about what will be discussed," he said. "The reopening and expansion of the labour market will be among the key topics, as a large number of Bangladeshi workers are employed here. We will also discuss ways to resolve the situation of around 2,000 Bangladeshis who remain stranded in Malaysia for various reasons."

Earlier on Sunday, at 8:45 pm local time, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Kuala Lumpur on an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He was accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman.

Upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Prime Minister Rahman was accorded a red-carpet reception and a guard of honour. The national anthems of Bangladesh and Malaysia were played during the ceremony.

At the airport's VVIP terminal, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister was welcomed by Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, and his spouse. A young child, Maisa Nur Aisha, presented flowers to Dr Zubaida Rahman.

Bangladesh High Commissioner Monjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury and Deputy High Commissioner Sahanara Monika were also present.

The Prime Minister was later escorted to the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in a special motorcade, arriving at around 9:45 pm.

The 50-minute route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the hotel was decorated with the national flags of Bangladesh and Malaysia in honour of the visiting Prime Minister.

This is Tarique Rahman's first foreign visit since assuming office as Prime Minister on February 17 following his party's landslide victory in the 13th National Parliamentary Election.