Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to significantly strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of higher education, scholarships and skill development following high-level meetings held in Putrajaya on Friday.

Mahdi Amin, Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for Education, Labour and Employment, reached the consensus during a bilateral session with Malaysian Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir.

Expatriate Welfare, Overseas Employment, Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury also attended the meeting held at the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.

The discussions primarily focused on research collaboration, workforce mobility and expanding scholarship opportunities for Bangladeshi students. Both sides emphasised the importance of improving the integration of Bangladeshi students into Malaysian society.

According to a statement from the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, Malaysian authorities formally recognised the mandate of the newly elected government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and pledged to deepen institutional engagement under new policy frameworks.

During the session, Adviser Mahdi Amin highlighted the government`s priority to enhance the global competitiveness of the country’s human resources.

He urged the Malaysian authorities to increase the number of scholarships and establish a structured support system to ensure the welfare, safety and social integration of the approximately 11,000 Bangladeshi students currently enrolled in Malaysian institutions.

Amin further proposed strengthening inter-university partnerships, expanding academic exchange programmes and developing joint educational projects. Welcoming these proposals, Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir expressed Malaysia’s readiness to consider expanding scholarship allocations under both existing and future schemes.

The meeting also explored the expansion of mutually recognised qualifications, joint degree programmes and distance learning, with both nations agreeing to align academic curricula with the demands of their respective labour markets.

Earlier on Thursday, Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury and Adviser Mahdi Amin met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at his office. They also held talks with a delegation led by Malaysian Human Resources Minister Dato` Sri Saravanan Murugan to discuss critical labour and employment issues.