Dhaka, Banglaesh (BBN)– Malaysia has expressed its interest to recruit 1.5 lakh farm labourers from Bangladesh.

Visiting Malaysian Home Minister Dr Ahmed Zahid Hamidi said this when he called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday morning.

After the meeting, PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil briefed reporters.

At the meeting, the Malaysian home minister informed Sheikh Hasina that his government has started the process for legalizing the Bangladesh workers staying in Malaysia.

The prime minister urged the Malaysian government to recruit more Bangladeshi workers at government-to-government level.

Sheikh Hasina and Zahid Hamidi held a positive discussion about recruitment of Bangladeshi workers at private level.

In this connection, the prime minister sought the Malaysian assistance to train up Bangladeshi skilled workers.

She expressed satisfaction over the existing ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia and hoped that this relation would be strengthened further in the days to come.

Terming Malaysia as a longtime friend of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said Malaysia is the first Muslim country which recognized Bangladesh on January 31 in 1972.

She mentioned that the foundation of Bangladesh-Malaysia ties were strengthened and this relations reached to a new height following the visit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Malaysia in 1973.

Sheikh Hasina also recalled the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to Bangladesh on November 17-19 last year, terming it as very important in the context of ties between the two brotherly countries

Referring to the recent aircraft missing of Malaysian Airlines, the prime minister conveyed her deep sympathy to the family members of the passengers of the missing jet.

In this connection, the Malaysian home minister thanked the Bangladesh government for taking its prompt measures to track  down the missing plane with Navy frigate and patrol aircraft.

He said the Malaysian cabinet discussed and expressed  gratitude for the letter of the Bangladesh Prime Minister which she sent expressing sympathy to the family members of the passengers of the missing jet.

PM's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Ambassador-At- Large M Ziauddin, PM's Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Norlin Binti Othman and PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil were present, among others.

BBN/SSR/AD-01Apr14-11:30 pm (BST)