17 November 2020:

Bangladesh Ambassador to ‍State of Qatar Md. Jashim Uddin has had a meeting this morning with H.E Dr. Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary General (Foreign Secretary) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar. During the meeting, various aspects of Bangladesh-Qatar bilateral relations were discussed. ‘’The presence of more than four lakh expatriate Bangladeshis in Qatar is one of the main pillars of bilateral relations’’, said the Ambassador. The Ambassador thanked the Government of Qatar for ensuring the well-being of the expatriate Bangladeshis during the pandemic. Highlighting their contribution to the economies of the two countries, the Ambassador discussed with the Foreign Secretary various issues related to the interests of the Bangladeshi community in Qatar. The Foreign Secretary of Qatar appreciated the contribution of Bangladeshi nationals in various fields and assured assistance in matters related to their interests. During this time, the Ambassador of Bangladesh emphasized on the importance of recruitment of more skilled workers and professionals from Bangladesh. In this context, the Ambassador of Bangladesh referred to his discussions in details in a meeting with the Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs of the State of Qatar including return of stranded expatriate Bangladeshi nationals to Qatar.

Bangladesh Ambassador also emphasised on  strengthening the trade relations between Bangladesh-Qatar highlighting the trade relations as one of the most important pillars of bilateral relations. The Foreign Secretary agreed with the Ambassador on strengthening trade relations, especially in terms of increasing communication between the two countries at the public and private levels and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to bilateral trade. There were fruitful discussions, among others, on exchange of high-level visits, holding of the 2^nd Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) at the level of State Minister for Foreign Affairs, investment, increased cooperation between two countries in the international arena, and the Qatari government's continued support for Rohingya repatriation etc.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador Khalid Ibrahim al Hamar, Head of Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State of Qatar and Md. Mahbur Rhaman, Counsellor (Political and Economic Affairs)from the Embassy.