Reciprocal visa exemption agreement with Egypt soon: Home adviser

Bangladesh and Egypt are set to sign soon the reciprocal visa exemption agreement for the official and diplomatic passport holders, Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retd) said today (13 May). 

"Reciprocal visa exemption agreement with Egypt for diplomatic and official passport holders will be signed soon," he said when Egyptian Ambassador to Bangladesh Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy paying a courtesy call on him at his home ministry office at Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon.

He said the draft of the mutual visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders has been sent to Egypt through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval. 

"If it is approved by Egypt, the agreement will be finally signed. Moreover, the matter of issuing on-arrival visas for ordinary passport holders is also being considered," he said. 

The ambassador assured that Egypt will extend all-out cooperation in this regard.

Apart from the issue, the meeting also discussed various matters that included the law and order and security aspects of the two countries, police training, prevention of illegal immigration and human trafficking, countering transnational terrorism, exchange of intelligence information, mutual legal assistance, exchange of experience on border security, and other matters of mutual interest.

Welcoming the ambassador at the beginning of the meeting, the adviser said that Egypt is a close friend of Bangladesh and the countries have had excellent bilateral relations over the past 50 years. 

"This relationship is based on mutual respect and trust," he said.

He also said that Egypt is the custodian and bearer of ancient civilization and Islamic history and tradition, he said. 

Mentioning that the best police training academy in the African continent is located in Egypt, the ambassador said, "Egypt can assist Bangladesh in training and capacity building of the police." 

Moreover, Egypt is interested in cooperating with Bangladesh in the security sector, he said. 

Jahangir said that in addition to cooperation in the field of security, the two countries can sign agreements on preventing illegal immigration and human trafficking and mutual legal assistance.

When the ambassador asked about the biggest security threat to Bangladesh at present, the adviser said that there is no major security threat to Bangladesh at present. 

However, Rohingya refugees are one of the main obstacles and security concerns in Bangladesh's security, he said. 

"Some Rohingyas are creating security problems at the border," he said, calling on Egypt to provide financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the Rohingyas and moral support for their repatriation.

Senior Secretary of Home Ministry Nasimul Ghani, Joint Secretary (Political-1) of the Public Security Division Md. Jasim Uddin Khan, Director General of the Africa Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs BM Jamal Hossain and other concerned officials were present in the meeting.