Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Ma-laysia for the warm reception accorded to him during his maiden overseas visit, describing the gesture as a reflection of the enduring friendship between the two nations.
“We are deeply touched by the friendship, gesture, and goodwill extended by the government of Malay-sia and its friendly people,” the prime minister wrote on his verified Facebook page yesterday after con-cluding his two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur.
He said his discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed the longstanding bonds between Bangladesh and Malaysia and underscored their shared commitment to greater coopera-tion, prosperity and regional progress.
“My wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his gracious wife, Dr Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail, for their incredibly warm welcome and hospi-tality,” he wrote.
He also said: “This is a cherished relation that dates back many decades to the time when my father Sha-heed President Ziaur Rahman was the President and my mother Begum Khaleda Zia was the Prime Min-ister of Bangladesh”.
Highlighting the importance Bangladesh attaches to its relations with Malaysia, he wrote, “we are proud of the people-to-people connectivity that binds our two nations across various sectors and all walks of life”.
The Prime Minister also conveyed his sincere appreciation to Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim ibni Sultan Iskandar for the warmth and courtesy extended during their meeting.
“Following my first state visit as Prime Minister, I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to further strengthen our multifaceted partnership with Malaysia,” he said.
Tarique Rahman left Kuala Lumpur yesterday for Dalian, China, after completing the first leg of his maiden foreign tour since assuming office.
