Palestine envoy seeks visa-on-arrival for their students in Bangladesh

Dhaka: Palestine has sought Bangladesh's support for granting visa-on-arrival facilities to Palestinian students pursuing higher education in the country, with Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed asking the Palestinian side to submit a formal proposal through diplomatic channels.

The issue came up during a courtesy meeting between the home minister and Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef S. Y. Ramadan at the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 2.

The ambassador said a large number of Palestinian students are studying at public and private educational institutions in Bangladesh and requested special cooperation in introducing visa-on-arrival facilities to make their travel and admission process smoother, read a press release.

In response, the home minister directed relevant ministry officials to extend necessary cooperation and requested the ambassador to send a formal letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further consideration.

The ambassador also requested that when Palestinian citizens or students apply for Bangladeshi visas through Bangladesh missions in the Middle East, copies of their applications be shared with the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka to facilitate verification.

The meeting also covered law enforcement and security cooperation, along with other issues of mutual interest.

Reaffirming Bangladesh's longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, Salahuddin said Bangladesh has consistently supported the Palestinian people's struggle for independence and the establishment of a sovereign state. He added that Bangladesh remains ready to extend all possible cooperation for the welfare of Palestinian citizens.

Senior officials from the ministries of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, along with representatives of the Palestinian Embassy in Dhaka, attended the meeting.