Bangladesh has urged Malaysia to expedite measures for supplying refined palm oil to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) with support from the Malaysian government, in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan.
The request was made by Sk Bashir Uddin, Adviser to the Ministry of Commerce, during a meeting with YB Datuk Seri Johari bin Abdul Ghani, Malaysia’s Minister of Plantation and Commodities, on the second day of his two-day visit to Malaysia on Tuesday.
In response, the Malaysian Minister acknowledged the Commerce Adviser’s request for supplying refined palm oil to Bangladesh on a Business-to-Government (B2G) basis under his government’s support. He assured that immediate and effective measures would be taken after consultations with local businesses, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.
The Malaysian Minister welcomed the Adviser and congratulated him on his new responsibility. During the meeting, the Adviser highlighted various aspects of Bangladesh-Malaysia bilateral relations and informed the Malaysian Minister about the demand, production and supply system of essential commodities in Bangladesh.
Notably, Malaysia is the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, while Bangladesh ranks among the major South Asian importers of Malaysian crude palm oil.
The Commerce Adviser highlighted the government’s plan to provide various essential commodities including edible oil at fair prices to 10 million families under the Social Safety Net program through the state-run TCB.
The discussions covered various topics, including collaboration in rubber sector development, potential trade and investment opportunities, and cooperation in establishing the Commodity Exchange proposed by the Chittagong Stock Exchange.
Deputy High Commissioner Mohammad Khorshed Alam Khastgir, First Secretary (Commercial) Pranab Kumar Ghosh, First Secretary (Political) Rehana Parvin from the High Commission were present while Press Secretary to the Malaysian Minister of Agriculture and Commodities Yusrinuddin bin Abd Karim and other officials were present among others.
