Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retd.) has requested the EU Ambassador to open a visa center in Dhaka for those countries that are part of the European Union, whose visas are not issued from Dhaka.
He made this request when the European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller met the Advisor at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday (April 21, 2025) afternoon.
The meeting discussed in detail the law and order situation in the country, the Rohingya issue, migration, prevention of human trafficking and smuggling, the ongoing reform process in Bangladesh, etc.
The Advisor said that Bangladesh is one of the leading manpower exporters among EU countries. Moreover, a large number of Bangladeshi people regularly travel to European Union countries for various purposes including business, trade, education, health, tourism, and medical treatment. Although Bangladesh is small in size, it is one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of population. It is time-consuming, difficult and expensive to obtain a visa for EU countries by going to the Indian capital, New Delhi. Therefore, it is essential to open a visa center in Dhaka for EU countries. The ambassador said that this issue will be discussed with the relevant representatives of EU countries.
At the beginning of the meeting, welcoming the EU Ambassador, the Advisor said that the European Union is one of the largest partners and close associates in the development of Bangladesh. Since its establishment, the EU has been making significant contributions to the development of trade and infrastructure in Bangladesh. Noting that the EU supports the ongoing reform process in Bangladesh, the Ambassador said that if Bangladesh wants, the EU can assist in this process by providing the necessary skills, capabilities, training and experience. Since Bangladesh has a shortage of skilled and experienced manpower in this regard, the Advisor requested that training workshops be organized in EU countries for the concerned. At this time, the Advisor said that reform is an ongoing process. It will be fruitful if the sincerity and consensus of the political leadership and relevant stakeholders are established in this regard.
In response to the Ambassador’s question about the law and order situation, the Advisor said that the current law and order situation in Bangladesh is satisfactory. However, it is gradually improving. At the same time, the Ambassador said that the EU is interested in cooperating in increasing the security capacity of Bangladesh and in economic development. When the Ambassador asked about the overall crime statistics in Bangladesh, including organized mobs, the Advisor said that the number of various types of crimes is gradually decreasing. The Ambassador mentioned that lies and misinformation are being spread in this regard and said that the more accurate information is provided to the public, the more the spread of misinformation will be eliminated. In this regard, the Advisor said that our neighboring country is spreading various rumors and false information about Bangladesh. I have always requested our media to provide accurate information.
Regarding Rohingya refugees, the Advisor said that officially there are 1.2 million Rohingyas in Bangladesh. But in reality, more refugees are living in Cox’s Bazar, which is a threat to the law and order situation in the region. Our various law enforcement agencies are working together to control law and order and increase security there. In addition, various domestic and foreign organizations are also working to improve the overall quality of life of the Rohingya.
Stating that the EU wants to work closely with Bangladesh to prevent human trafficking and smuggling, the ambassador said that every year a large number of Bangladeshis from Bangladesh and the Middle East cross the Mediterranean Sea via Libya to migrate to Europe. Many are financially affected and many lose their lives after falling into the clutches of brokers and human trafficking rings. He said that a tripartite dialogue could be organized between Bangladesh, Libya and the EU to prevent illegal migration and human trafficking and a memorandum of understanding could be signed later in this regard. The advisor requested the EU to provide leadership and take necessary initiatives in this regard. Bangladesh will provide overall cooperation in this regard.
The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary (Political and ICT) Khandaker Md. Mahabubur Rahman of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Joint Secretary of the Political-1 Branch Md. Jasim Uddin Khan, Counselor of the EU Delegation in Dhaka Jurate SMALSKYTE MERVILLE, First Secretary (Political) Sebastisn Riger-Brown and other concerned officials.
