Italy PM Meloni to visit Dhaka in December, trade, legal migration to top agenda
Both governments are currently holding high-level consultations to finalise the visit, likely between 18 and 20 December, which is being viewed as a major step towards elevating bilateral ties
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to make a one-day state visit to Bangladesh in the third week of December 2025, at the invitation of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, diplomatic sources in Dhaka, Rome, and Milan have confirmed.
Both governments are currently holding high-level consultations to finalise the visit, likely between 18 and 20 December, which is being viewed as a major step towards elevating bilateral ties.
A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visit "will mark a new chapter in Dhaka-Rome relations, particularly in the fields of trade, investment, and labour cooperation."
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According to diplomatic sources, Italy is expected to recruit around 50,000 skilled Bangladeshi workers across various sectors over the next two years. This development comes amid Italy's ongoing plan to issue nearly 500,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as part of its strategy to tackle labour shortages and expand legal migration channels.
Meloni's Dhaka trip, her first to Bangladesh and the first-ever by an Italian premier since Bangladesh's independence, had originally been scheduled for August 2025, but was postponed due to her role in NATO-led negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Focus areas: trade, investment, and migration
The upcoming visit is expected to focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, economic development, and social business, alongside legal and regulated labour migration.
Officials said discussions will centre on recruitment and regularisation of Bangladeshi workers already in Italy, while also exploring new pathways for formal migration.
Strengthening legal migration channels
Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro told The Business Standard that Italy, as a member of the European Union, "promotes and supports regular and legal migration" as part of its efforts to meet domestic manpower demand.
"Bangladesh should put greater emphasis on regular and legal migration, which will help the country tap a better slice of the Italian labour market," he said.
"The expected visit of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni gives us a great opportunity to expand this cooperation. The government should strictly punish human traffickers and launch massive awareness campaigns against irregular migration," he added.
Italy is currently Bangladesh's sixth-largest export destination, with two-way trade exceeding $2.2 billion, dominated by exports of ready-made garments (RMG). Bangladesh also exports leather, ceramics, ICT products, and jute goods to European nations.
Remittances from Bangladeshi workers in Italy continue to play a vital role in the economy.
According to the Bangladesh Bank, expatriates in Italy remitted $1.65 billion in the fiscal 2024-25, up from $1.48 billion in FY24.
During the visit, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is expected to seek Italy's support for Bangladesh's ongoing reform process and for initiatives aimed at improving the population's social and economic conditions, diplomatic sources said.
