Staff Reporter :
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to pay a one-day official visit to Bangladesh in the third week of December 2025, at the invitation of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Rome have confirmed.
Both sides are currently engaged in high-level consultations to finalise the itinerary, likely between 18 and 20 December. The visit is being
seen as a significant milestone in advancing bilateral relations.
A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visit “will usher in a new era in Dhaka-Rome relations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and labour cooperation.”
According to diplomatic sources, Italy plans to recruit about 50,000 skilled Bangladeshi workers across various sectors over the next two years.
This move comes as part of Italy’s broader plan to issue nearly 500,000 new work permits for non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028 – an initiative aimed at addressing domestic labour shortages and expanding legal migration routes.
Meloni’s trip to Dhaka – her first visit to Bangladesh and the first-ever by an Italian premier since the country’s independence – was initially scheduled for August 2025 but was postponed due to her engagement in NATO-led negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Focus areas: trade, investment, and migration The upcoming visit is expected to prioritise cooperation in trade, investment, economic development, and social business, alongside expanding opportunities for safe and legal labour migration.
Officials said discussions will cover both the recruitment of new Bangladeshi workers and the regularisation of those already residing in Italy, as well as exploring new avenues for formal migration.
Strengthening legal migration channels
Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro told The Business Standard that Italy, as an EU member state, “actively promotes and supports regular and legal migration” to meet its growing labour demand.
“Bangladesh should place greater emphasis on legal and regulated migration to secure a stronger foothold in the Italian labour market,” he said.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in New York on Wednesday. Photo: CA Press Wing
“The anticipated visit of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni provides a valuable opportunity to expand cooperation. The government should take strict measures against human traffickers and conduct extensive awareness campaigns to discourage irregular migration,” the ambassador added.
Italy is currently Bangladesh’s sixth-largest export destination, with bilateral trade exceeding $2.2 billion – dominated by ready-made garments (RMG). Other key exports include leather goods, ceramics, ICT products, and jute-based items.
Remittances from Bangladeshi workers in Italy remain an important pillar of the national economy.
According to Bangladesh Bank data, expatriates in Italy sent home $1.65 billion in FY2024-25, up from $1.48 billion in the previous fiscal year.
During the visit, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is also expected to seek Italy’s support for Bangladesh’s ongoing reform efforts and initiatives to improve the population’s social and economic well-being, diplomatic sources added.
