Staff Reporter:
Ambassador of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi has assured Dhaka of early disposal of the visa issues for the Bangladeshi nationals.
He made the assurance while paid a courtesy call on foreign secretary Md. Jashim Uddin, at the foreign ministry on Monday, an official press release said yesterday.
The pledge came as the foreign secretary urged the envoy to address the restrictions on issuance of visas including pending employment visa applications, ensuring smoother mobility for the work-force.
During the meeting, Jashim highlighted the significant reforms being undertaken by the interim government, aimed at fostering political and economic stability and growth across various sectors.
The foreign secretary, while expressing appreciation for the contributions of Bangladeshi expatri-ates in the oil-rich nation, thanked the UAE government and the Ambassador for the general par-don extended to convicted nationals who had expressed solidarity with the student-led mass movement in Bangladesh.
The discussion also focused on strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing economic cooperation, and addressing key issues including easing visa procedure, augmenting trade and investment, and social welfare projects between the two nations.
The ambassador acknowledged the presence of the large Bangladeshi diaspora working in the hos-pitality, finance, banking, and health sectors of the UAE.
The discussion touched upon opportunities for investment and business development, and the Ambassador expressing the keen interest of prominent UAE entities such as logistics leader DP World, renewable energy company MASDAR, air service provider Dnata, and cooperation between Bangladesh and the Al-Nahiyan Trust’s welfare initiatives.
The Foreign Secretary appreciated the significant remittances received from the UAE, acknowledg-ing their vital contributions to Bangladesh’s economic growth.
Both the sides discussed the prospect of high-level political exchanges with a view to advancing bilateral cooperation.
