Pinak's overstay claims dismissed
Thursday, 23 July 2009
The government has brushed aside the Indian high commissioner's recent claims that around 25,000 Bangladeshis do not return after entering India every year, reports bdnews24.com.
A foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement said Dhaka had not received any information on overstays of Bangladeshis in India.
"The government's attention has been drawn to the remarks of the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka regarding overstay of Bangladeshi nationals in India.
"Ministry would like to inform all concerned that the information available with the government does not correspond with the observation of the high commissioner," the spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
"Moreover, Bangladesh has not received any official communication from the government of India in this regard."
The foreign ministry's statement came two days after Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty at a conference at hotel Sonargaon said "around 25,000 Bangladeshis do not return after entering India every year."
"Those who enter unrecorded are many more in number," said Chakravarty, who has, of late, hit the headlines for making controversial comments.
"Our concern about illegal migration cannot be brushed aside," he said and added that security was a major concern for his government in the recent times following the rise of terrorism in the region.
The foreign ministry spokesperson said Bangladesh-India relations are "multi-faceted and deep-rooted."
"Both the countries believe in resolving all issues through dialogue," the spokesperson further said.
Meanwhile, UNB adds: The Indian High Commission (HC) in Dhaka Wednesday explained its High Commissioner's remarks about non-return of Bangladeshis who obtain visa for traveling to India and "touts and brokers" standing in the visa-seeking queue.
In a clarification the HC said the High Commissioner made the remarks in response to the FBCCI President Annisul Huq who made certain observations about the difficulties facing by Bangladeshi nationals including businessmen in particular at a function of FBCCI and FICCI on July 20.
It said the FBCCI president also mentioned that the queue for Indian visa would find a place "in the Guinness Book of World Records."
While responding to these remarks, the High Commissioner mentioned that visa is a problem area because of two reasons: (a) the large number (around 25,000) of Bangladeshi nationals who obtain visa but do not return, (b) the difficulties caused to genuine visa applicants by 'touts and brokers.'
A foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement said Dhaka had not received any information on overstays of Bangladeshis in India.
"The government's attention has been drawn to the remarks of the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka regarding overstay of Bangladeshi nationals in India.
"Ministry would like to inform all concerned that the information available with the government does not correspond with the observation of the high commissioner," the spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
"Moreover, Bangladesh has not received any official communication from the government of India in this regard."
The foreign ministry's statement came two days after Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty at a conference at hotel Sonargaon said "around 25,000 Bangladeshis do not return after entering India every year."
"Those who enter unrecorded are many more in number," said Chakravarty, who has, of late, hit the headlines for making controversial comments.
"Our concern about illegal migration cannot be brushed aside," he said and added that security was a major concern for his government in the recent times following the rise of terrorism in the region.
The foreign ministry spokesperson said Bangladesh-India relations are "multi-faceted and deep-rooted."
"Both the countries believe in resolving all issues through dialogue," the spokesperson further said.
Meanwhile, UNB adds: The Indian High Commission (HC) in Dhaka Wednesday explained its High Commissioner's remarks about non-return of Bangladeshis who obtain visa for traveling to India and "touts and brokers" standing in the visa-seeking queue.
In a clarification the HC said the High Commissioner made the remarks in response to the FBCCI President Annisul Huq who made certain observations about the difficulties facing by Bangladeshi nationals including businessmen in particular at a function of FBCCI and FICCI on July 20.
It said the FBCCI president also mentioned that the queue for Indian visa would find a place "in the Guinness Book of World Records."
While responding to these remarks, the High Commissioner mentioned that visa is a problem area because of two reasons: (a) the large number (around 25,000) of Bangladeshi nationals who obtain visa but do not return, (b) the difficulties caused to genuine visa applicants by 'touts and brokers.'