Australia’s Home Minister Tony Burke has announced that Australia plans to reopen its visa processing center in Dhaka and initiate talks aimed at preventing irregular migration between Bangladesh and Australia.
Minister Burke shared this information during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Thursday, read a press release.
Professor Yunus thanked the minister for visiting Bangladesh at a crucial time of the country and for supporting the Interim Government in its efforts to carry out much needed reforms.
Burke, whose constituency is home to a large number of Bangladeshi diaspora, said he followed events in the country with much interest and witnessed their big celebrations after the fall of the dictatorial regime.
"There is a lot of optimism and hope," he said about the post revolution expectations.
Professor Yunus admitted that the task of rebuilding the country is big since the dictatorship destroyed all institutions and the economy was in shambles.
"The challenges are big. Dealing with expectations is the most difficult part. But people are patient. We've got to build the structures again," the Chief Adviser said.
Burke raised the issue of irregular migration from Bangladesh, saying his government would like to start negotiations over the matter.
Professor Yunus urged the Australian minister to regularise the migrants and also increase regular migration from Bangladesh. The visiting minister said they were considering an increased number of regular mmigrationsfrom Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's rich history, including the historic Language Movement also came up during the discussion. "The seed of our independence came from this movement," Professor Yunus said.
The Chief Adviser discussed the work of the commissions including the five-member Disappearance Investigation Panel, which is probing hundreds of cases of enforced disappearances that occurred during the dictatorship.
Professor Yunus handed a copy of the Art of Triumph, a book on the graffiti and murals drawn on the walls of the cities and towns in the country during the mass uprising.
The Australian home minister appreciated the gift, saying he would visit some parts of the city to look at the arts himself.
