Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to depart for Malaysia this afternoon (Sunday) on an official visit at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

This journey marks the beginning of a significant diplomatic tour, as the Prime Minister will travel directly from Kuala Lumpur to China upon the conclusion of his stay in Malaysia, accepting an invitation from Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam highlighted the importance of these travels during a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday, noting that this is the first overseas visit by the Prime Minister since the government assumed office in February.

Regarding the delegation size, the Foreign Secretary explained, “We tried to keep it at a reasonable level,” with the teams accompanying the Prime Minister to Malaysia and China consisting of 27 to 28 members each.

During his visit to China, the Prime Minister is expected to focus on strengthening economic partnerships, attracting foreign investment, and enhancing regional connectivity.

Foreign Secretary Siam announced that the two nations are expected to sign 15 to 17 bilateral instruments, including 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), two agreements, one action plan, and one protocol.

Responding to a query about the highly anticipated Teesta project, the Foreign Secretary confirmed, “There would also be discussions regarding the Teesta project during the visit.”

The Prime Minister’s itinerary includes high-level engagements in China, with bilateral talks scheduled with Premier Li Qiang on June 25, followed by a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 26.

Additionally, the Prime Minister will attend the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions—widely known as the Summer Davos Forum—held in Dalian, Liaoning Province, from June 23 to 25.

The forum, themed “Innovating at Scale,” will host over 1,700 participants from more than 90 countries to discuss global economic trends, technological advancement, and innovation-driven growth.

While the Malaysia leg of the tour aims to expand trade, labor market cooperation, and investment opportunities, the visit to China is set to underscore Bangladesh’s commitment to deepening cooperation in infrastructure, technology, connectivity and development.

The Prime Minister is expected to return home on Friday night.

Additional Foreign Secretary (Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul Karim and other senior officials from the foreign ministry were present at the briefing.