State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat met Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Chiew Choon Man, in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital, on Tuesday to discuss expanding tourism cooperation between the two countries.

Bangladesh's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, attended the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

The meeting focused on exploring avenues for enhanced cooperation between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the fields of tourism, with a view to creating unique and enriching experiences for tourists from both countries. 

The discussions also facilitated the identification of new opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration and the reinforcement of the longstanding bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia.

The two sides discussed increasing flight frequencies between Bangladesh and Malaysia, simplifying and pre-verifying visa processes, cultural exchanges, and capacity building in the tourism sector, the statement said.

They also discussed cooperation in training and skills development in the hospitality sector to meet Malaysia’s demand for skilled workers as well as to expand recruitment opportunities for trained Bangladeshi personnel in the sector.

The meeting pointed out the need for closer cooperation between the two countries in promoting tourism, fostering people-to-people connectivity, and expanding opportunities for cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Malaysia's Deputy Secretary General (Tourism) Chua Choon Hwa; Tourism Malaysia's Director of International Promotion for Asia and Africa, Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi; senior officials from Malaysia's Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and Tourism Malaysia; Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner Mosammat Shahanara Monica; and First Secretary (Commercial) Pranab Kumar Ghosh also attended the meeting.