Australia confident in Bangladesh’s reform efforts, Aussie PM says

Australia expressed confidence in Bangladesh’s ongoing reforms, which aim to address past challenges and build a brighter future.
Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Arts, Cyber Security, Immigration, and Multicultural Affairs, Tony Burke, conveyed this sentiment during a meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.
During the discussion, the Australian minister stressed the importance of controlling irregular migration while fostering safe and regular migration channels. Touhid Hossain echoed this stance, emphasising the need for both countries to work together to ensure effective initiatives for regular migration.
Thanking Burke for his visit, Touhid Hossain also shared the history and motivations behind the student-led movement that had established the Interim Government. He briefed the minister on the current government’s reform initiatives aimed at realising the aspirations of the Bangladeshi people, particularly the youth.
Minister Burke spoke of the strong support from the Bangladeshi diaspora in Australia, particularly within his constituency, for the student-led movement in Bangladesh.
The two leaders underscored the importance of expanding bilateral trade, increasing Bangladeshi student enrollment in Australian institutions, and celebrated the growing contribution of Bangladeshi IT experts in Australia’s outsourcing sector.
Touching on the Rohingya crisis, Touhid Hossain expressed appreciation for Australia’s moral and material support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. He urged the international community, including Australia, to step up pressure on Myanmar for a sustainable solution, stressing that repatriation to a safe environment is essential to avoid destabilising implications for the region and beyond.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia M Allama Siddiki and Director General (East Asia & Pacific) Mohammed Nore-Alam were also present at the meeting.