Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to embark on his first overseas visit since assuming office, travelling to Malaysia and China, according to the country's Foreign Office, skipping India, which has traditionally been the first destination for such trips.

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said Rahman will leave for Kuala Lumpur on Sunday at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Then, Rahman will embark on a four-day visit to China on June 23 on Chinese Premier Li Qiang's invitation, he said.

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said Bangladesh and China are expected to sign 15 to 17 bilateral instruments, including 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and two agreements during Rahman's visit to the country.

Rahman is scheduled to meet Premier Li on June 25 and President Xi Jinping on June 26, and attend the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, known as the Summer Davos Forum.

He said, "There will be discussion regarding the Teesta project". The Teesta issue has attracted regional attention in recent years amid discussions over possible Chinese participation in river management and development projects in Bangladesh. The river is also linked to a long-pending water-sharing issue between India and Bangladesh.

Former ambassador and foreign affairs analyst Mahfuzur Rahman said the choice of the two countries for Rahman's first overseas tour reflected the importance Dhaka attaches to ties with them.

The two countries have been deepening their engagement.Bangladesh recently approved a Taka 41.89 billion (USD 340 million) infrastructure project for the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in the southeastern port of Chattogram, with concessional Chinese loans amounting to Taka 24.67 billion.

Notably, Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus had also visited Malaysia and China.

Bangladesh will seek support for becoming a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership during his two-day Kuala Lumpur tour, according to the country's Foreign Secretary.

Bangladesh-India relations were strainedfollowing a 2024 uprising that toppled the government of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The relations witnessed a major downturn after the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government came to power.

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