Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said four to five countries including the Maldives have reached out Bangladesh to take back its undocumented nationals from their respective countries.
He said the government will take steps case by case considering the ground reality.
Dr Momen said though the number of countries which came up with the request is few but it is pressure on the government at this critical moment for the whole world due to coronavirus.
“We are under pressure
to some extent. All the countries are under pressure,” he told reporters.
Dr Momen hoped that Bangladesh will not be in big trouble considering the relations that Bangladesh maintains with those countries and the steps are being taken to further strengthen the relations with them.
He said the Foreign Minister of the Maldives had a phone conversation with him conveying that the situation about the undocumented Bangladesh nationals.
The Maldives Foreign Minister highlighted the downfall of tourism business and closure of restaurants there and assured the Bangladesh Foreign Minister of taking well care of the documented nationals.
The Maldives initially urged the undocumented nationals to get registered. “We don’t think all will return,” he told reporters.
Dr Momen did not want to mention the names of other countries and total number of undocumented nationals in those four to five countries at this moment.
Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said they have already written to various countries thanking for the initiatives taken so far to fight COVID-19 and extending supports to Bangladesh missions abroad and helping Bangladesh nationals abroad.
Bangladesh also shared the economic situation of the country due to coronavirus with foreign countries, he said.
“We will face the challenges together. I must say each country is sympathetic to us,” Dr Momen said.
Earlier, the Foreign Minister had meeting with
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad and discussed ways to deal with the situation.
