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Dhaka: Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in higher education, research collaboration, skills development, and labor market mobility following a high-level meeting in Putrajaya.
The meeting was held between Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education, Labor, and Employment, Mahdi Amin, and Malaysia’s Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir at the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.
Bangladesh’s Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ariful Haque Choudhury, was also present, read a press release from the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
At the outset, the Malaysian side acknowledged the mandate of the newly elected government of Bangladesh under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and expressed readiness to deepen bilateral and institutional engagement under new policy directions.
Adviser Mahdi Amin highlighted Bangladesh’s priority of upgrading its human resources to global standards by expanding access to international education. He emphasized increasing scholarship opportunities for Bangladeshi students in Malaysia and broadening institutional pathways across diverse academic fields.
He also underscored the importance of a structured scholarship framework that ensures not only merit-based selection but also the welfare, safety, and social integration of Bangladeshi students in Malaysia. The adviser stressed the need for strong institutional support systems to help students adapt effectively to Malaysian society.
The Bangladesh side called for enhanced university-to-university partnerships, expanded academic exchange programs, and the development of long-term, sustainable joint education initiatives through transparent selection processes.
Minister Zambry welcomed the proposals and assured that Malaysia would positively consider increasing scholarship allocations for Bangladeshi students under existing and future higher education programs.
According to the Malaysian side, more than 11,000 Bangladeshi students are currently studying in the country. Both sides acknowledged their positive contributions to academic exchange and socio-economic connectivity.
Discussions also covered mutual recognition of academic degrees, the introduction of joint degree programs, the expansion of distance learning, and aligning education systems with labor market demands.
Adviser Mahdi Amin further stressed the importance of providing Bangladeshi students with adequate professional exposure and skills development opportunities during their studies. In response, Minister Zambry expressed interest in developing a supportive framework in line with Malaysia’s international education policy.
The meeting concluded with a shared understanding to strengthen scholarship frameworks, improve student support systems, and foster closer people-to-people ties, aiming to build a sustainable, knowledge-based economic partnership between the two countries.
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