Canada, Oct 24 (V7N) – Bangladesh and Canada have explored avenues to strengthen their bilateral ties, with discussions focusing on enhancing defense cooperation and expediting visa processes for Bangladeshi students and military personnel. These topics were part of Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh General Waker-Uz-Zaman's recent visit to Canada.

General Waker-Uz-Zaman was welcomed in Ottawa on October 23 by Ajit Singh, Director of the Privy Council Office of Canada, and High Commissioner-designate to Bangladesh. The discussions centered on addressing visa-related issues for Bangladeshi citizens, particularly students and military officials.

During his visit, General Waker-Uz-Zaman held meetings with Lieutenant-General Stephen R. Kelsey, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada, and Salma Zahid, MP, Vice-Chair of the Canada-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group. In these meetings, he emphasized the need for streamlining visa processes, particularly for students and both serving and retired military personnel. Salma Zahid acknowledged challenges due to Canada's housing shortage and encouraged Bangladeshi students to apply to designated institutions for faster visa processing.

The two sides also discussed collaboration in defense training exchanges, with a focus on officer exchanges at military institutions like the National Defence College. Additionally, opportunities for joint efforts in education, agriculture, infrastructure, and healthcare were explored, with Bangladesh expressing readiness to assist Canada in various sectors, including providing caregivers.

Nahida Sobhan, Bangladesh's High Commissioner to Canada, along with Brigadier General S M Asadul Haque and Major Md Shoaib Rifat Aumy, joined General Waker-Uz-Zaman in these discussions.

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