Dhaka: Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman emphasized on visas for students and other defense cooperation during his visit to Canada.
Canada's Bangladesh High Commission informed this information in a circular on Thursday (October 24).
According to the Canada High Commission, Bangladesh Army Chief General Walker-uz-Zaman arrived in Canada from the United States on Wednesday (October 23) local time as part of an official visit.
The army chief was given a warm welcome on his arrival in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Ajit Singh, Director of Privy Council Office of Canada and High Commissioner-designate of Canada to Bangladesh hosted the reception.
General Walker's visit is being considered as an opportunity to open a new horizon for Bangladesh-Canada relations. Various aspects were discussed in the meeting to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. Both sides expressed sincere interest in solving the visa issue for Bangladeshi citizens.
During the visit, Chief of Army Staff Walker-uz-Zaman held important discussions with Canada's Vice Chief of the Defense Staff, Lieutenant General Stephen R. Kelsey and Canada-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group Vice-Chair Salma Zahid MP. In the discussion, General Walker highlighted the importance of facilitating student visas for Bangladeshi students and emphasized the need for visa processing for serving and retired military officers. He highlighted the interim government's priority on youth development and sought Canada's assistance in providing more student visas, citing the mutual benefits of both countries.
Salma Zahid acknowledges the challenges in the context of Canada's current housing crisis. He encouraged Bangladeshi students to apply to relevant institutions in Canada for speedy visa processing and promised to find solutions to deal with restrictions on admission of foreign students.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding between Canadian and Bangladeshi universities. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in agriculture and infrastructure development.
General Walker offered Bangladeshi assistance in dealing with Canada's housing crisis and noted Bangladesh's readiness to assist Canada in the healthcare sector.
In a separate meeting with Lt. Gen. Kelsey, Gen. Walker advocated for ease of visa processing for serving and retired Bangladeshi military personnel.
Besides, the meeting emphasized on increasing the training exchange between the military institutions, so as to increase the professional development of the military officers of both the countries.
General Waqar-uz-Zaman's visit has created the possibility of further expanding the areas of cooperation between the two countries and opening a new horizon especially in student visa facilitation and defense cooperation.
At this time, Bangladesh High Commissioner Nahida Sobhan, Brigadier General SM Asadul Haque and Major Md. Shoaib Rifat Awmi was present.
Bangladesh Time: 1111 hours, October 24, 2024
TR/RB
