Bangladesh PM to visit Malaysia, China on first foreign tour

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to visit Malaysia and China on his first trip abroad since assuming office, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday (June 20, 2026), bypassing neighbouring India as his inaugural destination.

Mr. Rahman will visit Malaysia on Sunday (June 21) before travelling to China the following day, Dhaka’s state-run BSS news agency reported, citing Foreign Ministry officials.

In Beijing, trade and infrastructure projects will be on the agenda, according to the officials.

Those could include Chinese support for the long-delayed Teesta project, a plan to restore and manage a key Bangladesh river through dredging, embankment construction and irrigation.

“The visits are being viewed as a major diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s economic partnerships,” BSS reported, citing the Foreign Ministry.

Malaysia has an estimated 800,000 Bangladeshi workers, more than a third of its foreign workforce.