Migration, trade key focus in Italian PM’s visit to Dhaka in late December
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Migration and trade will be the main focus of the Italian Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Dhaka, scheduled for late December, Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Mr. Antonio Alessandro said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the envoy noted that the high-level visit is expected to strengthen the rapidly expanding partnership between Dhaka and Rome across multiple sectors.
“This visit will further consolidate the growing bilateral relations between Italy and Bangladesh,” said Ambassador Alessandro.
“The key areas of discussion will include migration and trade, two pillars of our cooperation that have great potential for mutual benefit.”
The ambassador explained that the Italian prime minister was initially scheduled to visit Dhaka in August this year, but the trip was postponed due to “some pressing reasons” in Italy. The visit has now been rescheduled for the end of December, and both sides are working on finalising the agenda.
According to diplomatic sources, this will be the first visit by an Italian head of government to Bangladesh in over two decades.
Officials in both capitals are viewing it as a significant step forward in renewing political dialogue and promoting economic, technological, and human exchanges between the two countries.
Bangladesh and Italy share a deep historical connection through labour migration, with nearly 200,000 Bangladeshis living and working in Italy — the largest Bangladeshi diaspora community in continental Europe.
The ambassador acknowledged that migration management, labour rights, and regularisation of Bangladeshi workers would be among the key topics during the visit.
“Italy values the contribution of Bangladeshi workers to its economy and is working closely with Dhaka to make labour migration more orderly, fair, and beneficial for all,” he noted.
Trade is another important dimension of the bilateral relationship. Italy is Bangladesh’s third-largest export destination within the European Union, with garments, leather goods, and ceramics leading the export basket.
Italian investments in Bangladesh, particularly in the textiles, renewable energy, and engineering sectors, are also expanding. The upcoming visit is expected to pave the way for enhanced cooperation in trade facilitation, investment promotion, and industrial innovation.
Responding to a question from journalists, Ambassador Alessandro said that defence cooperation will also feature in the bilateral talks. “Defence is a key area of cooperation between our two countries, and we are looking at opportunities for collaboration in security training, technology transfer, and maritime safety,” he said.
Foreign Ministry officials in Dhaka expressed optimism that the Italian Prime Minister’s visit will elevate bilateral ties to a strategic level, opening new avenues for cooperation in labour, trade, education, climate resilience, and security. Preparations are underway for a series of agreements and memoranda of understanding to be signed during the visit.
Observers believe that the Italian leader’s Dhaka trip comes at a time when Bangladesh is seeking to diversify its partnerships within Europe and attract more investments ahead of its graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.