The High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Rear Admiral S.M. Abul Kalam Azad, on Wednesday morning, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Vice President Faisal Naseem. The meeting was held at the President's Office.

The Vice President and the High Commissioner discussed mutual interest and cooperation areas, including people-to-people interactions, trade, healthcare, tourism, and human resource development opportunities. The High Commissioner expressed gratitude to the administration for the assistance provided to Bangladeshi nationals working in the Maldives during the Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccine equity policy, ensuring that they received timely vaccination.

The Vice President valued the contribution of the Bangladeshi workforce to the development of the Maldives. He added that ensuring workplace security and safety for workers had been a top priority for the administration and noted that more needs to be done on this front. The Vice President stated that the administration had been working on the regularisation of migrant workers, citing a need for an increased number of workers with the influx of developmental projects across the nation.

The Vice President and High Commissioner also discussed prior high-level, successful visits by leaders of state and government from both nations, which further reinforced the two countries' relationship. They concluded their meeting to further strengthen existing relations between the two friendly nations. The Maldives and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations on September 22, 1978.