The country’s Home Minister Tony Burke, who is visiting Bangladesh, said that he is interested in opening the visa center again in Dhaka and holding talks between Bangladesh and Australia to prevent irregular immigration.
Chief Advisor Dr. Rashtriya Guest House Yamuna on Thursday. He informed about this interest of the Australian government during the meeting with Muhammad Yunus.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yunus thanked the Australian minister for visiting Bangladesh and supporting the interim government in carrying out the necessary reforms during the country’s crisis.
Noting that a significant number of expatriate Bangladeshis live in his own constituency, Burke said he had kept a close eye on the student-crowd movement situation in Bangladesh and witnessed the jubilation that expatriate Bangladeshis celebrated after the fall of the dictatorship.
Regarding the expectations of the people after the coup, he said, ‘A lot of optimism and expectations have been created.’
Professor Yunus pointed out that rebuilding the country is a huge task, as the autocratic regime has destroyed all institutions and the economy has completely collapsed.
The chief adviser said, ‘The challenge is huge. Meeting people’s expectations is the most difficult task. But the countrymen have been patient. The country must be rebuilt.’
Burke raised the issue of irregular immigration from Bangladesh and said that his government wants to start discussions on this issue.
During the discussion, the rich history of Bangladesh, especially the historical language movement, also came up. Professor Yunus said, ‘The seed of our freedom comes from this movement.’
Dr. Yunus discussed the activities of various commissions set up by the government, including the five-member Commission on Disappearances, which is investigating hundreds of cases of disappearances during the dictatorship.
Professor Yunus presented the Australian minister with a book titled ‘Art of Triumph’, a collection of graffiti and murals painted on the walls of the country’s towns and villages during the uprising.
The Australian Home Affairs Minister appreciated the gift and expressed his desire to visit some areas of the city to see the works of art with his own eyes.
(Dhaka Times/October 31/MR)
Source: www.dhakatimes24.com
