Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) has said that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) signed between Bangladesh and Australia will be a milestone in preventing human trafficking and illegal immigration.
The advisor made this remark as the chief guest at the SOP signing ceremony titled “Standard Operating Procedure for the Return of Bangladesh citizens to Bangladesh” between the governments of Bangladesh and Australia at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat today (March 24, 2025) noon.
Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam signed the SOP on behalf of Bangladesh and Mark Whitechurch, Deputy Commander of the Joint Agency Task Force of that country, signed on behalf of Australia. Home Affairs Advisor Lt. Gen. Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.), Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle and Senior Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Ghani were present at the event.
The Advisor said that illegal migration and human trafficking pose serious global challenges, jeopardizing the principles of safe, orderly and legal migration. It not only endangers countless lives but also threatens the path of skill-based and legal migration. He said that we have taken strong measures to prevent dangerous and life-threatening journeys, so that a safe and dignified migration can be ensured for every Bangladeshi citizen. He further said that the Bangladesh government is committed to building a safe and regulated migration system in accordance with national and international laws and regulations. As part of which, this SOP of Bangladesh with Australia has been signed today. This SOP will serve as an important tool in strengthening our mutual cooperation with Australia, exchanging technical expertise, sharing intelligence and providing effective assistance in preventing human trafficking and illegal migration.
Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) said, our areas of cooperation with Australia are very wide. We have mutual trade, development and technical partnerships. He said, Bangladesh has a diverse workforce/labor force, ranging from highly skilled professionals to semi-skilled and unskilled workers, who can make a significant contribution to meeting the needs of the Australian labor market. He also said, a holistic and integrated regional approach is needed to combat illegal migration and human trafficking. The Advisor proposed to create an inclusive and cooperative framework covering important transit countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. He also expressed his sincere gratitude to the Australian government for deciding to process Australian visa applications in Dhaka.
