Photo : Collected

DHAKA, Sept 10, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) today 
reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepen cooperation on migration and 
mobility ahead of the 3rd Bangladesh-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue.

The pledge came when visiting Director for Migration and Asylum at the 
European Commission's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs 
Michael Shotter, called on Foreign Ministry Secretary (Bilateral) Dr. Md. 
Nazrul Islam at his office here. 

During the meeting, Islam praised the EU's sustained engagement with 
Bangladesh in fostering safe, orderly and regular migration. 

He underscored that skills-based migration remains a priority in Dhaka's 
cooperation with Brussels and urged the EU to expand legal migration 
pathways, particularly through the Talent Partnership scheme.

Highlighting that more than half of Bangladesh's population is under Islam 
said the country has the potential to serve as a reliable partner in meeting 
Europe's evolving labour market demands. 

He stressed that the EU could benefit from Bangladesh's growing pool of 
skilled and semi-skilled workers through safe migration channels.

The secretary also called for EU-funded training and certification programmes 
in Bangladesh to align local workforce skills with European standards, citing 
successful models from South Korea and Singapore. 

He proposed collaboration with local institutions, including Bureau of 
Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) centres and Technical Training 
Centers (TTC).

Shotter, who is leading the EU delegation to the ongoing Migration and 
Mobility Dialogue in Dhaka, briefed the secretary on the outcomes of the 9th 
Joint Working Group Meeting on Standard Operating Procedures for the 
Identification and Return of Persons without Authorisation to Stay, and the 
3rd Talent Partnership Roundtable held on September 9. 

He commended Bangladesh's proactive role in tackling irregular migration and 
stressed the importance of sustaining the Returnee Case Management System.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over progress in negotiations on the 
proposed Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), noting 
that migration is expected to remain a central pillar of the broader 
Bangladesh-EU partnership.

The 3rd Bangladesh-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue was held in Dhaka from 
September 8 to 10, bringing together senior officials from both sides to 
discuss enhanced cooperation in regular migration, skills mobility, and 
return and reintegration.