Acting Foreign Secretary Ambassador Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam joined the signing ceremony of the Euro 3.0-million project – Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh – between the European Union and ILO, this afternoon at the EU Residence in Dhaka. The Bangladesh-EU Talent Partnership project aims at creating safe and legal pathways for skills mobility from Bangladesh to the EU Member States.
The Acting Foreign Secretary, in his statement at the event, conveyed deep appreciation to the EU for including Bangladesh in the Talent Partnership Programme under its Skills and Talent Mobility package, and thanked ILO for partnering with this initiative. Highlighting the joint announcement by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, on 25 October 2023 in Brussels, of launching negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Bangladesh and the EU, he hoped that Bangladesh-EU Talent Partnership will add value to Bangladesh’s enhanced partnership with the EU in the coming years.
Ambassador Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam outlined the steps taken by the Government over the last 15 years to expand technical and vocational education, particularly in terms of higher enrolment and infrastructural development of the TVET sector. He hoped that the EU will continue to provide support to Bangladesh in identifying skill gaps and required skilling, up-skilling and re-skilling. He also expressed Bangladesh’s readiness to provide skilled workforce to the EU Member States in ICT, nursing and caregiving, hospitality and tourism, construction, transport and logistics, garments and textile, agriculture and agro-processing, and shipbuilding sectors.
The Acting Foreign Secretary expressed gratitude to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Her Excellency Ylva Johansson and thanked Head of Delegation of EU to Bangladesh Ambassador H.E. Mr. Charles Whiteley, Head of Mission of Bangladesh to the EU and Bangladesh Ambassador to Belgium H.E. Mr. Mahbub Hassan Saleh; Director for Migration, Protection and Visa of DG HOME of European Commission Mr. Michael Shotter, among others, for their support and contributions in making the Bangladesh-EU Talent Partnership a reality