Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is currently visiting China. But from tea stalls to social media in Bangladesh, people are talking about Malaysia – especially a 2-minute, 40-second video chronicling Rahman’s recent visit.
Released from the verified Facebook page by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the video features the popular Bengali song “Amar Bondhu Moha Jadu Jane” (My Friend Knows Great Magic) playing in the background. The clips focused on the warm hospitality extended to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister and striking moments showcasing the chemistry between the two leaders, starting with the red carpet reception given to Rahman at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya.
The video also highlighted Ibrahim’s statement regarding working with Bangladesh to resolve the Rohingya crisis, a key priority for Dhaka. These comments were the only words spoken in the edit, aside from the music.
Shortly after being posted on Ibrahim’s official Facebook page on the morning of June 23, the video went viral. On the same day, Bangladesh’s official news agency, BSS, published the video on its official social media platforms. The video also made the headlines of the country’s major media.
Bangladeshi netizens were very impressed by the public relations strategy of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office. Many people commented on social media about how Malaysia transformed an official state visit into an enjoyable experience through music, bringing it closer to the hearts of ordinary people.
But behind the viral video, what really happened during Rahman’s brief 18-hour visit on June 21 and 22?
The trip to Malaysia was Rahman’s first foreign visit since forming the government with massive support last February. He had received invitations to visit several countries, including India, China, Japan and countries in the Middle East. Choosing Malaysia as our first destination involved calculations of economic diplomacy as well as a geopolitical balancing act.
On June 22, the prime ministers of the two countries held their first face-to-face meeting, followed by a larger bilateral meeting. Later, during a joint press conference, Ibrahim fondly recalled his old memories with the Zia family. He also praised the political sacrifices made by Rahman.
Bangladesh and Malaysia issued a 33-point joint statement covering nine issues. Bangladesh’s priority was rapid reopening of the closed labor market. In his meetings with the Malaysian Prime Minister and the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim, Rahman called for reopening the labor market, reducing migration costs, eliminating the domination of trade unions and legalizing undocumented or imprisoned Bangladeshi workers by bringing them under a legal framework. Ibrahim made it clear that exploitation of workers will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The new quotas for foreign workers will depend on sector-specific demands, and the recruitment process will be fully transparent and competitive. To achieve this, both sides agreed to urgently convene a joint working group meeting to revise the existing memorandum of understanding on labor cooperation and sign a new one.
The joint statement also mentions collaboration in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and the digital economy. Rahman proposed integrating Bangladesh’s booming IT and engineering sectors with Malaysia’s highly advanced semiconductor outsourced assembly and testing (OSAT) industry. Dhaka has proposed a “Talent Cooperation Framework” for this purpose.
Bangladesh is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in South Asia. To institutionalize this relationship, it was decided to bring forward the process of signing a free trade agreement by 2027. Additionally, a Malaysia-Bangladesh Joint Business Council is being established to foster collaboration between the private sectors of the two countries.
To harness the immense potential of the global Islamic economy, Bangladesh has sought cooperation from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) in the halal industry. An exchange of notes took place between the two countries on this subject. As a result, Bangladesh’s capacity in halal certification, research and product manufacturing will multiply.
During the visit, Rahman met senior executives of major Malaysian conglomerates including Petronas, Axiata, AirAsia, Perodua and MMC Ports. Apart from the MoU between Petronas and Petrobangla for LNG supply and infrastructure development, Bangladesh has invited Malaysia to invest in oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, as well as the renewable energy sector.
From a geopolitical point of view, it can be said that Bangladesh’s main achievement has been to ensure Support from the Malaysian public for Bangladesh’s candidacy to become an ASEAN “sectoral dialogue partner”. Dhaka also received support from Malaysia to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
On the Rohingya issue, Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to stand by Bangladesh, as always. Malaysia said it would use ASEAN and other international forums to put pressure on Myanmar, fighting for the dignified and safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The two countries pledged to work jointly at the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to resolve the Palestinian crisis, combat climate change and prevent human trafficking.
Decisions were also taken during the trip aimed at strengthening cooperation in joint research between the universities of the two countries, as well as in technical and vocational education. Discussions were held to boost tourism in light of “Visit Malaysia 2026” and medical tourism campaigns.
During the visit, an official memorandum of understanding on cultural exchanges and two exchanges of notes regarding counter-terrorism and investments were signed. Bangladesh and Malaysia pledged to fully implement the MoU on defense cooperation and form a joint committee to develop a “defense road map”. The two leaders agreed to share intelligence regarding military science, UN peacekeeping missions and the fight against terrorism.
At the end of a busy day on June 22, Rahman invited the Malaysian Prime Minister to visit Bangladesh before flying to Dalian, China. We will have to wait to see how effectively the song played in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s video works its ‘Moha Jadu’ (great magic) for Tarique Rahman and Bangladesh.