Army Chief discusses defence ties, visa facilitation with Canada
Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, during an official visit to Ottawa, engaged in talks with Canadian officials to enhance defense cooperation and improve visa facilitation services for Bangladeshi nationals, particularly students.
General Waker met with Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada, Lieutenant-General Stephen R Kelsey, and Salma Zahid MP, Vice-Chair of the Canada-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Upon his arrival on Wednesday, he was received by Ajit Singh, Director of the Privy Council Office of Canada, and Canada’s High Commissioner-designate to Bangladesh, as per a press release from the Bangladesh embassy in Ottawa.
The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, with an emphasis on resolving visa-related issues for Bangladeshi nationals, including students. In his meeting with Lt. Gen. Kelsey, General Waker emphasized the need to simplify visa procedures for Bangladeshi military personnel, advocating for handling visa cases through bilateral consultations to avoid broad restrictions.
The talks also explored expanding defense cooperation, particularly through increased training exchanges between military institutions. General Waker proposed officer exchange programs between institutions like the National Defence College (NDC) and staff colleges to support the professional development of military personnel.
During his meeting with Salma Zahid MP, General Waker addressed the challenges faced by Bangladeshi students seeking visas to study in Canada. He urged for faster visa processing, stressing the Bangladesh government’s focus on youth development and the mutual benefits of supporting educational opportunities for Bangladeshi students in Canada. Zahid acknowledged the visa difficulties, citing Canada's housing shortages as a factor, but encouraged students to apply to designated Canadian institutions to expedite the process. She reaffirmed her commitment to finding solutions to the current limitations on foreign student admissions.
They also discussed the possibility of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Canadian and Bangladeshi universities to foster educational exchanges, as well as potential collaboration in agriculture and infrastructure development.
Additionally, General Waker highlighted Bangladesh’s readiness to assist Canada’s healthcare sector, including providing caregivers to address workforce shortages.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada, Nahida Sobhan, was present during both meetings.
Source: BSS
