Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday night urged Bangladeshi expatriates to move beyond a culture of placing demands and instead focus on what they can contribute to the country, calling on them to play a greater role in Bangladesh’s development and rebuilding efforts.

Addressing a view-exchange meeting with members of the Bangladeshi expatriate community at the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, he said it is time for all Bangladeshis, both at home and abroad, to think about their responsibilities towards the nation.

“Today, let us move beyond thinking only about our demands and start asking ourselves what our duties are towards the country, what we can do for Bangladesh,” the Prime Minister said.

He joined the meeting with the Bangladeshi expatriates shortly after arriving in Malaysia as part of his first official overseas visit since taking office.

The interaction began around 10:45pm local time, where the Prime Minister addressed Bangladeshi expatriates as the chief guest.

His wife Dr Zubaida Rahman was present at the event.

Members of the Prime Minister’s delegation, including cabinet ministers, advisers and senior government officials, also attended the programme.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury was present as well.

The Prime Minister said Bangladeshi expatriates have always made significant contributions to the country and appealed to them to continue supporting national development. “My request to all expatriate brothers and sisters is this: from today, let us think about what we can do for our country. Let that be our guiding thought,” he said.

Referring to what he described as the impact of the past one and a half decades of fascist rule, Tarique Rahman said a particular group had continuously exploited the country.

“A group of people kept taking from the country until it was pushed towards destruction. What is done is done. There was little we could do, though we tried. People shed their blood to free the country from the fascist rule,” he said

“Now let us all focus on what we can do for the country together. Let us remain committed to that. I wish everyone good health and well-being,” the Prime Minister added.

During the interaction, Tarique Rahman outlined his government's plans and priorities, including major welfare programmes such as the Family Card and Farmers’ Card initiatives, as well as projects aimed at improving rural infrastructure and reviving canals.

“I have shared my thoughts and plans with you. If you believe these ideas can help move the country forward, then I seek your support and trust,” he said.

Addressing concerns raised by expatriates, the Prime Minister said Bangladeshis living abroad must respect and follow the laws of their host countries.

“You must abide by the laws of the country where you live. We will discuss your legitimate concerns with the relevant authorities and try to resolve them, but every country has its own laws and regulations. We must recognise that reality,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said his government inherited a country facing serious challenges, including a heavy debt burden, widespread corruption and weakened state institutions.

“We had to begin work amid enormous difficulties. The education system, healthcare system, electoral process and economic structure all required major reforms,” he said.

Speaking in a conversational style, the Prime Minister explained his thoughts and plans one after another, while the expatriates listened attentively and frequently applauded in support.

Expressing optimism about the country's future, he said Bangladesh has every reason to be hopeful. "I firmly believe Bangladesh has a very bright and beautiful future ahead. But there is a condition. We must work hard, we must make sacrifices, and above all, we must remain patient," he said.

At one stage, several expatriates tried to raise their concerns simultaneously, prompting some commotion in the hall. Tarique Rahman urged them to remain calm and speak one at a time.

"When everyone speaks at once, nobody can understand or hear anything, and problems cannot be solved that way. We need to move away from that approach," he said.

Recalling difficulties faced by his family in the past, the Prime Minister said personal suffering should not be allowed to shape public policy.

He recalled that his mother, former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, had once been seriously ill and an ambulance had allegedly been denied to her by a hospital. "Today BNP is in government and I am the Prime Minister. If I wanted, I could seek personal revenge. But what benefit would that bring? It would benefit nobody. We have to move beyond that mindset," he said.

Tarique Rahman called upon Bangladeshi expatriates to become active partners in rebuilding and developing the nation.

He sought the prayers and support of expatriates for the successful implementation of the government's reform and development agenda.

Drawing attention to the cleanliness of Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister noted that many Bangladeshi workers contributed to maintaining the city's infrastructure.

"The roads from the airport appeared very clean to me, and many of my fellow Bangladeshis are involved in this work. If our people can do this here, why cannot we do the same in our own country?" he asked.

Responding to concerns raised by expatriates regarding Malaysia, Tarique Rahman acknowledged their difficulties and assured them that the government will discuss the issues with the Malaysian authorities. "We will talk to them about the problems and explain our concerns.”

His remarks drew loud applause from the audience.

Recalling his first days in office, Tarique Rahman said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate him after the BNP formed the government.

He said his visit was taking place at Anwar Ibrahim's invitation and expressed hope that his talks with the Malaysian leader on Monday will help address a number of issues affecting Bangladeshi workers in the country.

The Prime Minister said he will discuss ways to resolve obstacles preventing Bangladeshi workers from entering the Malaysian labour market and address the problems faced by many expatriates, including around 2,000 workers who are currently unable to return home from different parts of Malaysia for various reasons.

“We will discuss these issues and work towards finding solutions,” he said.

Tarique Rahman also said the government was placing emphasis on developing a skilled workforce through training and technical education and giving scope for learning major foreign languages.

He said Bangladesh is holding discussions with countries, including Malaysia, China, Germany and Japan, to strengthen technical institutions and improve vocational training opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the welfare of expatriate Bangladeshis will be a key issue during his meeting with Anwar Ibrahim, saying the concerns of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia will receive priority attention.

President of BNP Malaysia chapter Engineer Badlur Rahman delivered a vote of thanks at the programme.

Earlier, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Kuala Lumpur at around 8:35pm local time on a two-day official visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He went to the hotel on completion of the airport formalities.

The visit marks Tarique Rahman’s first state visit abroad since assuming office as Prime Minister.

As part of his two-day official visit, Tarique is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with his Malaysian counterpart on Monday. The two leaders will later lead delegation-level talks between the two countries.