The Maldives may soon be invited to use Bangladeshi diplomatic missions abroad to negotiate with the international community, it emerged this week.
Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary, Mijarul Quayes, is drafting a conceptual plan that will allow the Maldives to open ‘outlets’ within Bangladeshi diplomatic through which to conduct its international relations, according to a report by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
The Maldives has only 13 missions abroad and opening ‘Maldivian outlets’ within Bangladeshi missions would help the island nation, the APP report said.
Bangladesh has 60 diplomatic missions worldwide. Offering the Maldives office space within their missions is part of Quayes’s plan envisaging a “new role for Bangladesh regarding the Maldives”.
The offer of diplomatic office space, however, has not yet been made formally to the Maldivian Foreign Ministry.
“Bangladesh may be thinking of making such a proposal but we are not aware of it yet”, State Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem told Minivan.
The Bangladeshi High Commission in the Maldives was unable to confirm or deny the report at time of press.
The government estimates there to be 35,000 Bangladeshi nationals working in the Maldives – over 11 percent of the total population – of which the authorities consider 17,000 to be employed legally.
Maldives-Bangladeshi relations have recently been in the news over allegations of Bangladeshi labourers being trafficked to the Maldives.
Exploitation of foreign workers rivals fishing as the second most profitable sector of the Maldivian economy after tourism, according to conservative estimates of the number of Bangladeshi workers showing up at their commission in Male’ after being abandoned at the airport by unscrupulous employment agents.
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11% the population is currently Bangladeshi. So is the government of Bangladesh trying to symbolise this population as a more permanent feature?
I don't think we should be using 'outlets' in someone elses diplomatic mission. After all, are we facing such enormous diplomatic hurdles now? Don't think so.
A more pressing concern is deporting the 18000 illegal Bangladeshi nationals who are already here!
You Maldivians are sinking so is Bangladesh partly. And the whole world is up against the Muslims for their brutality and unfriendliness. Maybe we should open our eyes and start looking at the bigger picture. We have a Black American President. This racism has to stop. Allah can change things in a blink of an eye.
It's a very good idea for Maldives to have openings through Bangladesh Embassies.
Bangladesh and Maldives have excellent relations. Bangladesh Armed Forces have been training Maldives forces. Many students from Maldives study in Dhaka. We get on with each other like a family.
Sorry, but I think Ahmed may not be from Maldives but an imposter trying to create mischief.
Salam.
Why did the reporter, Azra Naseem, muddy the issues? The two issues are hardly related, but Azra was trying to create enmity and insulted all of Bangladesh. Maybe, Azra is very prejudiced. Not very nice. That explains Ahmed's very demeaning response.
This gives a flavour of Muslim brotherhood.
PS: Hope your newspaper can stop such insults. Very unwise to try to create enmity.
I don't think Azra insulted Bangladheshis. Rather she rightfully insulted the Maldivians who are exploiting Bangladheshis for cheap labour.
Getting rid of this Bangladeshi Population, will be the challenge a President of the Maldives can ever have!
"Quiet impossible" can be a very close term one can come to when it comes to the question of getting rid of them!
During the time of Late President, Sumuvvul Ameer Ibrahim Nasir, RBK, NGIV, KCMG, he managed to get rid of the Indian Merchants who had a good grip over the economy at that time.
Had he been with us today; it is I am sure he will give his total support and sound advice to HEP Nasheed, and it will be very decisive and effective too!
But how and what can the poor last president do! He's got a bunch of them in the FAMILY!
However, if there are court cases arising with regards to Bangladeshis, he can benefit!
Bangladesh is a distant country. The only thing the Maldives shares with Bangladesh is that long ago Maldives trading vessels sailed to Calcutta, which is in Bengal but not in Bangladesh. The Maldives doesn't share its language or a common border with Bangladesh. There is a country which almost shares a common border with the Maldives and which shares a common language. This other country is better resourced than Bangladesh and has an established relationship with the Maldives that goes back a couple of centuries. That country is Great Britain. The British Indian Ocean Territory is right next door and English is a de facto official language in the Maldives. I am sure, if the Maldives needs office space in diplomatic missions the British Government would be more than happy to oblige.
(PS: Leave Azra alone- don't shoot the messenger!)
Bangladesh offering to help the Maldives is like a leper with 4 limbs missing offering to carry a leper with three limbs missing.
With so much ingratitude hurling at Bangladeshis, I doubt any peace-loving Maldivians would post such insults. Either "some" of the commenter are fake Maldivians(foreign impostors) in bid to destroy good relationships between these two nations; or they might have personal 'unfortunate' issues with some Bangladeshi uneducated and poor workers, who were conned (trafficked) into getting so-called decent jobs in friendly Maldives. If 'majority' of Maldivians are truly 'against' this move, which is a sign of good gesture by Bangladeshi Government, then I think the Bangladesh should abort, before it starts sinking. Peace.