Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday underscored the importance of resolving the ongoing visa complications as Bangladesh seeks to expand its labour market opportunities in Eastern Europe.
During a meeting at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, Yunus highlighted the longstanding visa issues that have persisted through previous administrations and instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make a concerted effort to address these challenges.
The meeting was part of the National Steering Committee’s efforts to implement a sustainable strategy for Bangladesh’s transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
Shafiqul Alam, the chief adviser’s press secretary, later briefed the media on the details of the meeting at the Foreign Service Academy.
Alam said while visa-related issues have remained unresolved from past governments, the Chief Adviser emphasised the need for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take extra measures to resolve these problems.
In his briefing, Alam pointed out that Bangladesh has seen growing interest from Eastern European countries looking to recruit workers.
During his recent visit to New York, Chief Adviser Yunus met with the president of Albania and the prime minister of Kosovo, both of whom expressed interest in hiring workers from Bangladesh.
However, Alam added that visa complications remain a barrier to these new opportunities. Since many Eastern European countries lack embassies in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi workers must apply for visas through embassies located in New Delhi, India.
This issue was discussed extensively in the meeting, with the Chief Adviser stressing the urgency of finding an effective solution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already working on the matter and plans to take additional coordinated efforts to streamline the visa process, Alam confirmed.
The meeting was attended by several key government officials, including Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Agriculture Adviser Lt General (Retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and others.
Additionally, representatives from the business community, including BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, DCCI President Taskin Ahmed, and Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries President Abdul Muktadir, were present at the meeting.
