Chief Advisor Prof Muhammad Yunus has urged European Union (EU) member states to relocate their visa centres from New Delhi to Dhaka or other neighboring countries.
He said this in a meeting with the diplomats of EU held at the Chief Advisor's office in Tejgaon of the capital at 12pm on Monday.
The 19-member delegation was led by Michael Miller, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh. Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain was also present in the meeting.
15 representatives presented their views in the meeting that lasted about two and a half hours. Various important topics like labor rights, trade facilitation, climate change, human rights, International Crime Tribunal Act, implementation of Rohingya repatriation and the commitments and actions of both sides to build a sustainable future were discussed in the meeting.
The Chief Advisor said, "We celebrate victory throughout the month of December. I am very happy to participate in such an interactive discussion with you in the month of victory."
He paid tribute to the martyrs and injured in the mass uprising in Bangladesh in July-August. At the time, he briefly outlined the torture, exploitation, enforced disappearances, and human rights violations over the past 15 years of AL regime.
Mentioning the economic white paper, he talked about corruption, money laundering, and disruption of banking system in the past.
He mentioned that misinformation is being spread on a large scale about Bangladesh. The Chief Advisor said, “We seek your cooperation in stopping this misinformation.”
He also said that the dictator Sheikh Hasina and her aides, who were forced to flee the country due to the July uprising, are trying to destabilize the country using the huge amount of money they have laundered.
The Chief Advisor also mentioned the incident of exchange of views with representatives of all political parties and religious communities of Bangladesh for the purpose of harmony and national unity in Monday’s meeting.
Professor Muhammad Yunus also briefed the EU representatives in detail about the reforms of the interim government and the election process.
The Chief Advisor requested the ambassadors present to shift their visa centers for Bangladeshis from Delhi to Dhaka or to another neighboring country.
He said, “As India has restricted visas for Bangladeshis, many students are unable to go to Delhi to get visas for Europe. As a result, uncertainty has arisen about their educational career. Universities in Europe are not accepting Bangladeshi students. If the visa office is shifted to Dhaka or a neighboring country, both Bangladesh and the European Union will be benefited.”
Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain, who was present at the meeting, said that Bulgaria has already shifted its visa centers for Bangladeshis to Indonesia and Vietnam. He urged other countries to follow the same process.
EU representatives have expressed full support to the Chief Advisor in the reform process. They also promised to stand by the side of the government in building a new Bangladesh by providing recommendations.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
