Ottawa, October 23, 2024
Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman highlighted the importance of facilitating and expediting student visas for Bangladeshi students and both serving and former military officials.
Waker-Uz-Zaman who is currently visiting Otowa met with Canada’s Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant-General Stephen R. Kelsey and Canada-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group Vice-Chair and Member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Salma Zahid, MP.
During his visit, he focused on exploring new horizons for enhancing the Bangladesh-Canada relationship in diverse aspects.
He highlighted the interim Government’s priority of youth development and sought Canada’s assistance in this regard by facilitating more student visas citing the mutual benefits for both the countries.
Salma Zahid acknowledged the challenges in this regard due to Canada’s existing housing shortage. She encouraged Bangladeshi students to apply to designated institutions in Canada for expeditious visa processing and reaffirmed her commitment to finding solutions to address the current limitations on foreign student admissions.
The exploration of joint collaboration in educational exchange programs and the potential signing of an MoU between Canadian and Bangladeshi universities were also discussed.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman proposed collaboration to address Canada’s housing crisis.
In addition, the Army Chief mentioned Bangladesh’s readiness in assisting Canada in its healthcare sector, including through providing caregivers to Canada.
In a separate meeting with Lieutenant-General Kelsey, General Waker-Uz-Zaman advocated for streamlining visa processing for both serving and retired Bangladeshi military personnel.
The Chief of Army Staff emphasized increasing collaboration through officer exchanges at the National Defence College (NDC) and staff colleges, aimed at strengthening the professional development of military personnel from both nations.
Bangladesh High Commissioner Nahida Sobhan along with Brigadier General S M Asadul Haque and Major Md Shoaib Rifat Aumy were present there.
Source: Press release, provided by the High Commission
