Bangladesh, Australia agree to promote regular migration coop

Bangladesh and Australia have emphasised the need to address irregular migration, highlighting effective initiatives from both sides to facilitate and promote safe and regular migration.

This topic was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Tony Burke, Australia's minister for home affairs, arts, cyber security, immigration, and multicultural affairs, and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the foreign ministry in Dhaka today (31 October), according to a ministry press release.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain expressed gratitude to Burke for his support and cooperation with the Bangladeshi diaspora in Australia. He noted Bangladesh's interest in enhancing bilateral trade and increasing student enrolment in Australian institutions.

During the meeting, both sides highlighted the growing presence of Bangladeshi IT experts in Australia's outsourcing sector.

Thanking the Australian minister for his visit to Bangladesh, the foreign affairs adviser discussed the background and significance of the student-led mass movement that helped establish the current interim government and informed him about the reform initiatives underway to fulfill the aspirations of the Bangladeshi people, especially the younger generation.

At the meeting, Burke mentioned that the Bangladeshi community in Australia, particularly those in his electorate, had expressed strong support for the student-led movement in Bangladesh in July and August. 

He also conveyed his government's confidence in Bangladesh's commitment to addressing past challenges and building a brighter future through effective reforms.

"More than 50,000 people of Bangladeshi origin call Australia home, and we appreciate the contribution they make to our country," Burke said in a statement before his visit to Bangladesh.

"Our people-to-people links with Bangladesh demonstrate the strength of the bilateral relationship and the potential for deepening cooperation in the future," he added.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid also acknowledged Australia's ongoing support for the Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh and called for greater international pressure on Myanmar for a sustainable solution to the crisis. 

He emphasised that the only viable solution is the safe return of the Rohingyas to their homeland, warning that failure to address this issue could have broader regional and global implications.

Among others, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia M Allama Siddiki and the foreign ministry's East Asia and Pacific Wing Director General Mohammed Nore-Alam were present at the meeting.