UNB:
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Friday emphasised the need to address the challenges faced by Bangladeshi expatriates from within the country, noting that 80 percent of the issues encountered by migrant workers originate from home, not abroad, before they leave Bangladesh.
He pointed out that although the remaining 20 percent of problems occur in destination countries, Bangladesh’s missions abroad manage the full range of issues, apparently placing an overwhelming pressure on limited resources.
The Adviser made the remarks while speaking at a programme, marking Foreign Service Day 2025 at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
Foreign Service Day commemorates a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s history.
On this day in 1971, Bangladeshi diplomats and staff stationed in Kolkata took over the Pakistan Deputy High Commission, raised the Bangladesh national flag, and established the country’s first diplomatic mission abroad — a symbolic step in asserting the nation’s independence and sovereignty.
Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and former Ambassador Humayun Kabir, who delivered the keynote address, also spoke at the event.
Adviser Hossain highlighted that Bangladesh missions across the globe, despite operating with limited manpower and resources, provide essential services to nearly 10 million Bangladeshi expatriates.
Citing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as an example, he noted that approximately 3.2 million Bangladeshis reside there.
Even if all of them abide by local laws, many still face various difficulties, he said.
