President meets with Minister of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment of Bangladesh

President Mohamed Nasheed has today met with Mr Eng Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, Minister of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment of Bangladesh.

The meeting was held this afternoon at the President’s Office.

Discussions were focused on a range of issues, including Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives, climate change and tourism cooperation.

President said that there were many Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives and that the Maldives appreciated their services to the country. However, he noted there were several illegal immigrants in the Maldives, and that it was an issue that needed to be regulated.

The President also briefed the Minister on the measures that the government of Maldives was taking to improve the living conditions of expatriate workers in the Maldives.

He also spoke on the possibilities of strengthening tourism cooperation between the two countries.

He further noted that the Maldives and Bangladesh were front-line states in the issue of climate change and stressed the importance of sending the message to the world on the need to protect the vulnerable countries.

Mr Eng Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain thanked the government and the people of the Maldives on behalf of the government of Bangladesh, for “being such a hospitable host to the Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives”.

He commended the President for raising the climate issue to the focus of the international community. He also congratulated the President for the successful underwater cabinet meeting that was held in the Maldives.