CA urges EU states to shift visa centres from Delhi to Dhaka or neighbouring country

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today (9 December) requested diplomats of the European Union (EU) member states to shift their visa centres from New Delhi to Dhaka or a neighbouring country.

He made the request during a meeting with EU diplomats at his office in Dhaka's Tejgaon, reads a statement from the CA's press wing.

"As India restricts visas for Bangladeshis, many students are unable to go to Delhi to get visas for Europe. As a result, they face uncertainty about their education. If the visa offices are moved to Dhaka or a neighbouring country, both Bangladesh and the European Union will benefit," he said.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, who was present at the meeting, said Bulgaria has already shifted its visa centre for Bangladeshis to Indonesia and Vietnam. He urged other countries to follow the same process.

The 19-member EU delegation was led by Michael Miller, ambassador and head of delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh.

In the interactive session with the envoys of European countries, Prof Yunus referred to the Election Reform Commission and said certain reforms must be completed before the election to avoid old-fashioned problems.

Yunus said they have to wait for the report to incorporate those proposals in the election process.  "If the government holds the election now, it will be an old-fashioned one and all the old-fashioned problems will come back."

Prof Yunus highlighted the interim government's commitment to building a new Bangladesh that requires new policies and a new institutional framework and said the political parties are very interested in holding the election. "We are also interested in holding the election."

The chief adviser told the diplomats that he was trying to explain to the people about the government's two responsibilities - holding the election and carrying out reforms in various areas.

He said there are 15 different commissions and the government is expecting reports from these commissions by the end of this month to the middle of January.

Prof Yunus said they would be ready for the election once the election process reforms are implemented. "This is the direction we are going....two processes are moving in the same direction towards our goal."

At the beginning, Prof Yunus said this is a very exciting moment for Bangladesh as this is a month of Victory. "And this is a very special occasion to have you all together," he said.

Prof Yunus said it shows support for Bangladesh - political, economic, and moral support.

He said there is a strong sense of unity that exists in Bangladesh despite some propaganda and misinformation campaigns against Bangladesh.

The envoys who participated in the meeting are:

Christian Brix Møller, Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh; Marie Masdupuy, Ambassador of France to Bangladesh; Achim Tröster, Ambassador of Germany to Bangladesh; Antonio Alessandro, Ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh; Gabriel Sistiaga Ochoa de Chinchetru, Ambassador of Spain to Bangladesh; Nicholas Weeks, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh; Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh; Andre Carstens, CDA a.i., Embassy of the Netherlands in Dhaka.

Heads/Representatives of EU Missions in New Delhi:

Didier Vanderhasselt, Ambassador of Belgium to Bangladesh; Nikolay Yankov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Bangladesh; Marje LUUP, Ambassador of Estonia to Bangladesh; Peggy FRANTZEN, Ambassador of Luxembourg to Bangladesh; Róbert Maxián, Ambassador of Slovakia to Bangladesh; Evagoras Vryonides, High Commissioner-designate of Cyprus to Bangladesh; Gabor Szucs, First Secretary, Dhaka Office of the Hungarian Embassy in New Delhi; Jaroslaw Jerzy Groberek, Counsellor, Poland Embassy in New Delhi; Sofia Batalha, Deputy Head of Mission, Portugal Embassy in New Delhi; Irma Šinkovec, First Secretary, Embassy of Slovenia in New Delhi; Ruxandra CIOCANELEA, Second Secretary, Embassy of Romania in New Delhi.