Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) has said that the visa waiver agreement with Gambia for diplomatic and official passport holders will further deepen bilateral relations and strengthen diplomatic ties. The agreement will encourage more meaningful interaction between the governments of the two countries, facilitate greater diplomatic exchanges and pave the way for greater cooperation in various fields.
The advisor said this while briefing journalists after the signing ceremony of the mutual visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders between Bangladesh and Gambia at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday (March 13, 2025) afternoon.
Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and the country’s Foreign Minister Dr. Dr. Mamadou Tangara. The welcome speech was delivered by Senior Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Nasimul Ghani.
The Advisor said, “We are deeply grateful for Gambia’s moral stance on the Rohingya issue and their unwavering solidarity with Bangladesh in international forums. The Gambia’s leadership in securing justice for the Rohingya at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with the support of the OIC has earned our unwavering appreciation. This bold step and their commitment to protecting human rights have further strengthened the relations between our two countries.” He said, “Today’s signing of the agreement is another milestone in our growing relationship.”
Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) said, “There is huge potential for cooperation between the two countries in these sectors – ready-made garment industry, food processing and packaging, information technology and IT-related services, and pharmaceutical industry.” Moreover, as two climate-vulnerable countries, where our rural economies are heavily dependent on agriculture, we can work together to build resilience and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The advisor said, we should translate this diplomatic goodwill into business-to-business engagement, so that the full potential of our economic partnership is realized.
The Gambian delegation included, among others, the Gambian Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustapha Jawara, Director of Asia and the Pacific at the Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sheick Omar Bittaye, and Bangladesh Desk Officer Adama Cabality Sallah. The Bangladeshi delegation included, among others, the Director General (Africa) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs B. M. Jamal Hossain, Director Tahlil Dilawar Moon, Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Ziaur Rahman, among others.
It is worth noting that visa exemption agreements have been concluded with various countries in the international arena with the aim of expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation between Bangladesh and various countries and making inter-country relations more fruitful. So far, visa exemption agreements have been signed with 30 countries.
The visa exemption agreement has a total of 10 articles. As a result of its signing, citizens of both countries holding diplomatic and official passports will be able to enter, exit and transit the territory of the other party without a visa for a period of not more than 90 (ninety) days. This agreement will remain in force for an indefinite period. Either contracting party can terminate this agreement by giving 90 (ninety) days’ written notice.
