Bangladesh’s Interim Leader Yunus Seeks Malaysia’s Support on Rohingya Repatriation Issue

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, on Friday sought Malaysia’s assistance in engaging the Southeast Asia regional bloc, ASEAN, to address the issue of repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

Malaysia will take over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, and Yunus is keen to leverage this position for support.

The appeal came during the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Dhaka, marking the first visit by a foreign leader to Bangladesh since Yunus took office on August 8. It was also the first state visit by a Malaysian leader to Bangladesh in 11 years.

Yunus assumed leadership after the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising accusing her of corruption, human rights violations, and excessive use of force against protesters. Yunus has since committed to reforming the government and reviving Bangladesh’s troubled economy.

Bangladesh currently hosts around 1 million Rohingya refugees who fled violence by Myanmar’s military. These refugees, living in sprawling camps, have long sought a safe return to their homeland. After talks with Prime Minister Anwar, Yunus announced that he requested Malaysia’s help in raising the Rohingya repatriation issue at ASEAN, and that Anwar had agreed to offer support.

“This is something we have to resolve as soon as possible,” Yunus said. He added that the leaders also discussed enhancing bilateral trade, finalizing a free trade agreement, and strengthening cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, energy, education, and connectivity.

Bangladesh is eager to boost trade ties with ASEAN member states, particularly as Malaysia was its second-largest trading partner in South Asia in 2023, with trade totaling USD 2.78 billion. Additionally, Malaysia is a major destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, with around 800,000 employed in sectors such as construction and manufacturing. Anwar also offered to recruit 18,000 more Bangladeshi workers, promising to ensure better working conditions for them.

Bangladesh is not only focused on worker migration but also on education, as over 6,000 Bangladeshi students are enrolled in Malaysian higher education institutions.