Bangladesh has urged Malaysian investors to help develop world-class hospitals and healthcare facilities in the country as Bangladeshis spend an estimated $6 billion a year seeking medical treatment overseas.
The appeal was made as Bangladesh and Malaysia explored ways to expand cooperation in healthcare, tourism, halal industries, aviation, ICT, agro-processing and other sectors during a business meeting involving chambers from the two countries.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury said Malaysian healthcare entrepreneurs could make a significant contribution by establishing advanced hospitals and medical facilities in Bangladesh, helping meet domestic demand for quality healthcare.
He also sought Malaysian cooperation in developing a world-class tourism industry in Bangladesh and strengthening the country’s halal economy.
The high commissioner said Bangladesh should be viewed not only as a major source of manpower but also as an increasingly attractive investment destination, with opportunities across a range of sectors.
He identified the absence of a bilateral trade agreement as one of the major obstacles to expanding trade and investment between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
Referring to discussions between the two countries’ prime ministers during the Bangladesh prime minister’s recent visit to Malaysia, he expressed hope that a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be signed by December 2027.
Such an agreement, he said, would help deepen bilateral trade, business and investment.
He invited Malaysian companies to explore opportunities in Bangladesh’s aviation, medical services, ICT and agro-processing sectors. Bangladesh also offers a large potential market for Malaysian halal products, he said, calling for Malaysian expertise to help establish an effective halal ecosystem in the country.
Malaysian companies could also contribute to developing skilled manpower for Bangladesh’s emerging semiconductor industry through training and capacity-building programmes, he added.
At the event, Tan Ching Khim, chairman of SME Corporation Malaysia, said Malaysia currently has about 1.3 million small and medium-sized enterprises.
He urged the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and the Klang Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to strengthen links between SMEs in the two countries and create more opportunities for business cooperation.
Tan also highlighted the contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia, describing them as the largest group among foreign workers in the country. Their participation, particularly in infrastructure development, has contributed to Malaysia’s economy, he said.
DCCI Senior Vice-President Razeev H Chowdhury presented Bangladesh’s trade and investment opportunities and called for faster progress towards an FTA.
He also stressed the need to deepen halal economic cooperation, provide technical assistance to Bangladeshi SMEs to increase exports and establish stronger links between local businesses and international entrepreneurs.
The DCCI and KCCI subsequently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation. DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed and KCCI President Jeffery Tan signed the agreement.
The event also featured 40 business-to-business matchmaking sessions involving members of the DCCI delegation and representatives of the Klang Chamber.
Malaysia eyes healthcare and Muslim tourism cooperation
Later, Taskeen Ahmed held a meeting with Malaysia’s Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing, where the two sides discussed tourism and healthcare cooperation.
Tiong said the number of Bangladeshi tourists travelling to Malaysia had been increasing each year and described the trend as encouraging.
Malaysia is placing greater emphasis on Muslim tourism, he said, expressing hope that tourist flows from Bangladesh would continue to increase given the country’s large Muslim population.
He said Malaysia was interested in providing training to Bangladesh to develop skilled personnel and strengthen management capacity for building an effective Muslim tourism ecosystem.
Tiong also said the Malaysian government was considering establishing advanced hospitals and medical centres in Bangladesh to provide international-standard healthcare services.
He proposed an MoU between Malaysia’s Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) and the DCCI to promote tourism development in both countries and strengthen institutional cooperation.
The discussions come as Bangladesh seeks to reduce its dependence on overseas medical treatment while attracting greater foreign investment into healthcare and other service sectors.