Malaysia to Assist Bangladesh With Rubberised Bitumen Tech and Investment

State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam held a high-level meeting with the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh, Mohammad Suhada Osman. The official diplomatic engagement took place at the Secretariat located in the capital city of Dhaka on the 30th of August, bringing together key representatives from both nations to discuss vital infrastructure and economic cooperation.

A primary focus of the discussions between State Minister Mir Shahe Alam and High Commissioner Mohammad Suhada Osman centered on advanced road construction methodologies. Specifically, the talks addressed the implementation of rubberised bitumen, also known as polymer modified bitumen technology, which is slated to be adopted for road networks in Bangladesh to improve infrastructure durability and resilience.

Elaborating on the technical collaboration, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam stated, "Malaysian roads use a type of rubberised bitumen. As a result, the roads do not get damaged by rain. For this reason, the government has decided to use this technology gradually. Malaysia will provide technical assistance in this regard." This partnership aims to mitigate monsoon-related road degradation across the country.

Beyond infrastructure development, the diplomatic meeting also highlighted substantial upcoming economic ventures between the two countries. According to the confirmed details of the meeting, Malaysia is currently making preparations to invest approximately two billion dollars across several key sectors, including electric vehicles, commonly referred to as EV, as well as the solar panel and halal food industries.

In addition to infrastructure technology and multi-billion-dollar industrial investments, the bilateral discussions also addressed matters concerning human resources and employment opportunities. Officials confirmed during the meeting at the Secretariat that the export of manpower from Bangladesh to Malaysia is scheduled to officially commence by the end of the month of September.