Bangladesh to expand consular services in Middle East

Bangladesh is expanding consular services to ensure the safety of expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir has said.

He said the issue was being given top priority and discussions were underway with the countries concerned through diplomatic channels.

So far, 14 Bangladeshis have been killed in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, while several others have been injured. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the bodies of those killed will be repatriated at government expense and the injured will receive proper medical treatment.

“We are maintaining contact with the governments concerned through diplomatic channels. Consular services are being expanded wherever necessary,” Humayun Kabir said.

The state minister also highlighted the importance of the OIC foreign ministers' conference in Baghdad, where Bangladesh will call for peace and reconciliation while seeking to strengthen bilateral ties with Iraq.

He said the Middle East could also benefit from Bangladesh's experience in UN peacekeeping missions to promote global peace.

-AJM