Dr Hasan corrects Dipu Moni's statement
Monday, 27 April 2009
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud Sunday admitted that former Premier Khaleda Zia had met Saudi King Abdullah in 2005, apparently correcting Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's statement that the monarch's audience with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the first in seven years, reports UNB.
Briefing reporters on the outcome of the Prime Minister's five-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, Mahmud said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier had met with the Saudi King in 2000 and 2001 and the then Prime Minister (Khaleda Zia) in 2005.
The state minister described the one-hour-and-20-minute meeting between the King and the Prime Minister "successful", saying that it was a "rare" occasion as the Saudi King addressed Hasina as his sister.
Mahmud, however, kept silent when a correspondent said the Saudi King had addressed Hasina as his sister on the previous occasion too.
Mahmud said the Prime Minister had an extensive discussion with the Saudi King and the Saudi foreign minister when they assured her that the restriction would go on Bangladeshi workers who would now be able to change their "akama" and would not lose jobs if the company owners were changed.
He said previously there was compulsion on Bangladeshi girls to return home from Saudi Arabia after attaining 18 years of age, but now that restriction would not be in place, thus allowing girls of 18 years to continue to stay over there.
Asked about restriction on recruitment of Bangladesh workers for Saudi Arabia, Mahmud said professionals like doctors and engineers were regularly going to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities assured the Prime Minister that effective steps would be taken to recruit Bangladeshi workers.
Officially, 1.7 million Bangladesh people are working in the Saudi Kingdom. Unofficial figure is 2.2 million, which is 20 per cent of the total Bangladeshi expatriate workers employed overseas.
Briefing reporters on the outcome of the Prime Minister's five-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, Mahmud said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier had met with the Saudi King in 2000 and 2001 and the then Prime Minister (Khaleda Zia) in 2005.
The state minister described the one-hour-and-20-minute meeting between the King and the Prime Minister "successful", saying that it was a "rare" occasion as the Saudi King addressed Hasina as his sister.
Mahmud, however, kept silent when a correspondent said the Saudi King had addressed Hasina as his sister on the previous occasion too.
Mahmud said the Prime Minister had an extensive discussion with the Saudi King and the Saudi foreign minister when they assured her that the restriction would go on Bangladeshi workers who would now be able to change their "akama" and would not lose jobs if the company owners were changed.
He said previously there was compulsion on Bangladeshi girls to return home from Saudi Arabia after attaining 18 years of age, but now that restriction would not be in place, thus allowing girls of 18 years to continue to stay over there.
Asked about restriction on recruitment of Bangladesh workers for Saudi Arabia, Mahmud said professionals like doctors and engineers were regularly going to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities assured the Prime Minister that effective steps would be taken to recruit Bangladeshi workers.
Officially, 1.7 million Bangladesh people are working in the Saudi Kingdom. Unofficial figure is 2.2 million, which is 20 per cent of the total Bangladeshi expatriate workers employed overseas.