Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced that he will hold talks with the Malaysian head of government to secure maximum benefits for Bangladeshi expatriates.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during an exchange of views with expatriate Bangladeshis at the Hotel Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (21 June) at around 10:30 PM local time.

Addressing the expatriates, he said, "I want to tell our expatriates, let us move past what our demands are today and instead think about what our duties are toward the nation. Let us all think about doing something for the country together so that everyone can thrive."

The Prime Minister added, "On behalf of the people back home, I have one request for you—let us start thinking today about what we can do for the country. Let this be our focus today; this is what I expect from you."

He further noted, "A certain group has completely exhausted the country by continuously plundering it. They have completely destroyed the nation. We are trying to rebuild. People have shed their blood to free the country from autocracy. Now, let us all build the nation together."

After completing formalities at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 9:30 PM, the Prime Minister arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel and joined the exchange of views session with Malaysian expatriates. He was accompanied by his wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman.

During the event, the Prime Minister shared his thoughts and plans for nation-building with the expatriates. Tarique Rahman spoke about the BNP's electoral pledges, specifically outlining various programs including the family card, farmers' card, and canal re-excavation initiatives.

"I have shared my thoughts with you. Please pray for us so that we can implement these plans," he said.

The Prime Minister laid out his plans one by one. The attending expatriates listened intently to his speech and expressed their support for his vision.

Stating that Bangladesh has a bright future, the Prime Minister said, "I firmly believe that Bangladesh has a very beautiful and bright future ahead. However, there is a major 'but' here. The condition is that we must work hard for it, we must endure hardships for it, and most importantly, we must exercise patience."

He observed, "While traveling from Kuala Lumpur, the roads seemed very clean to me, and this cleaning work is being done by the brothers of my country. If the brothers of my country can perform such excellent work here, why can't we do it at home?" the Prime Minister questioned.

Referring to the 1/11 political crisis, the Prime Minister said,

He continued, "At this moment, BNP is in charge of running the country. As Prime Minister, I could perhaps take revenge for many things out of personal animosity if I wanted to. But if I do that, can you tell me what the benefit would be? It would benefit no one. Therefore, we must move away from this cycle of revenge and vengeance."

Addressing the audience, the Prime Minister said, "You are expatriates. You certainly have claims on the country, but at the same time, you also have duties toward it. Just as you have a duty to the nation as expatriates, we also have a duty as citizens living at home. Let us move past what our demands are and think about our responsibilities to the country. We must break away from the mindset of what we can take from the nation."

He added, "I will speak with the head of government of this country to ensure maximum benefits for our expatriate brothers. I will try to secure the maximum possible within the framework of this country's laws."

As part of his two-day official visit, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday (22 June) morning.