Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who took office in February as Bangladesh’s 11th premier, will make his first overseas trip later this month with visits to Malaysia on 21-22 June and China from 23-25 June.
The Malaysia leg, scheduled ahead of any visit to India, is expected to focus on migrant worker welfare, labour migration, recruitment costs and legal employment channels, reports South China Morning Post.
Malaysia hosts about 800,000 Bangladeshi workers, roughly 37 per cent of its foreign workforce, across manufacturing, construction, plantations and agriculture.
In Beijing, Tarique is expected to advance infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and seek new investment in technology, renewable energy, agriculture and healthcare.
“Dhaka may also seek better financing terms and try to get some stalled projects back on track,” said Mohammad Shakil Bhuiyan, assistant professor of political studies at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.
Analysts argue the sequencing of visits reflects a deliberate “Bangladesh First” policy aimed at avoiding early alignment with either India or China.
Strained Ties With India, ASEAN Focus
Relations with New Delhi remain strained by border tensions, unresolved water‑sharing disputes and a trust deficit over India’s refusal to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled there after mass protests in 2024.
Shafi Md Mostofa, associate professor of security studies at the University of Dhaka, said the upcoming visits highlight the government’s effort “to project Bangladesh as an independent foreign policy actor with diversified partnerships,” but cautioned they do not necessarily signal worsening ties with India.
“India remains too important a neighbour for any future government to ignore,” he said.
According to Shafi, a key objective in Malaysia will be to deepen Bangladesh’s economic integration with ASEAN, particularly as the India‑Pakistan diplomatic stand‑off over Kashmir has stalled progress through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. He added that opportunities in AI‑driven industrial development are expected to feature in discussions with Beijing.
Sohini Bose, associate fellow at the Delhi‑based Observer Research Foundation, described visiting Malaysia first as a “practical choice” that would help Dhaka avoid speculation about its geopolitical leanings.
She said Tarique’s trips are expected to build on agreements reached during former interim leader Muhammad Yunus’ visits to both countries last year covering trade and renewable energy cooperation with Malaysia, and in China, development of the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chattogram and the modernisation of Mongla Port in southwestern Bangladesh.
Sohini noted that Dhaka turned to Delhi earlier this year for diesel supplies amid the global fuel crunch caused by the US‑Israel war on Iran, underscoring Bangladesh’s recognition of the value of stable ties.
“There is a pragmatic understanding on both sides that rebuilding Delhi‑Dhaka ties should be a priority,” she said.
Domestic Normalcy, Rohingya Crisis and China Loans
The coming visits are also designed to signal that Bangladesh has achieved “domestic normalcy” following months of unrest after Sheikh Hasina’s ousting, according to Mustafa Izzuddin, senior international affairs analyst at Singapore‑based Solaris Strategies.
“The strategic objective is to restore economic relations with countries that matter,” he said, noting Dhaka is seeking formal “sectoral dialogue partner” status with ASEAN, which would allow engagement in specific policy areas without full membership.
Mustafa, also a visiting professor at the Islamic University of Indonesia, added it is only a matter of time before Bangladesh’s new prime minister visits India, which remains “vitally important” for Dhaka’s economic development.
Any Indian concerns about the order of visits stem from “China threat perception and fears about losing influence,” said Shahjalal University’s Mohammad Shakil Bhuiyan, pointing to last month’s visit to India by Bangladesh’s foreign minister as a signal that “Dhaka wants a respectful, balanced relationship.”
He said the coming visits “shift the focus away from the usual China‑India binary and keep things from becoming unnecessarily complicated.”
Border and migration disputes continue to weigh on ties, driven largely by undocumented crossings and alleged forced repatriations by Indian border forces. While Delhi views such measures as essential for national security, Dhaka insists any deportations must follow formal verification mechanisms rather than forced expulsions.
Strategic affairs analyst Md Himel Rahman, lecturer in international relations at Gopalganj Science and Technology University, said Dhaka is likely to push for greater access to Malaysian universities for Bangladeshi students and seek diplomatic support on the Rohingya crisis.
“The reopening of the labour market is likely to be an important agenda item,” Himel said particularly after Malaysia suspended recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in June last year to curb exploitation and trafficking.
Malaysia hosts around 120,000 Rohingya refugees without formal legal status, while Bangladesh shelters more than 1 million, mainly in Cox’s Bazar, creating a major financial burden. Desperate conditions drive many refugees into the hands of traffickers.
Himel added that securing more Chinese investment and soft loans will be urgent for Dhaka as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from least‑developed country status in 2029, alongside efforts to expand market access for Bangladeshi goods in China.
“By choosing Malaysia for the first foreign tour of the prime minister, Dhaka is sending two messages,” Himel said.
He added that one message demonstrates “a ‘Bangladesh First’ policy” to the domestic audience, while the other signals to the international community Dhaka’s refusal to choose sides in the India‑China rivalry.
