Bangladesh seeks to raise workforce in Russia to 100,000
The proposal was made by Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman during his three-day official visit to Russia
ATT Correspondent 
Bangladesh has proposed a major expansion of its workforce presence in Russia, aiming to increase the number of Bangladeshi workers in the country from nearly 10,000 at present to 100,000 within the next year.
The proposal was made by Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman during his three-day official visit to Russia, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
Russian authorities responded positively to the proposal and agreed to work swiftly to complete the necessary formalities, paving the way for a significant increase in Bangladeshi manpower exports to the Russian labour market.
The manpower issue emerged as one of the key outcomes of discussions between the two countries during the visit.
The two sides also agreed that bilateral trade remains well below its potential and should be expanded substantially in the coming years.
During the talks, Dr Rahman highlighted the prospects for increasing Bangladeshi exports to Russia, particularly in the readymade garment and pharmaceutical sectors.
The Russian side welcomed Bangladesh's proposal to send a business delegation to Russia in the coming weeks to explore new commercial opportunities and strengthen trade relations.
Technology cooperation, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), featured prominently in the discussions as both countries explored avenues for future collaboration.
The foreign minister proposed a visit by a Russian delegation to Bangladesh to share expertise on the use of AI in agriculture and healthcare. The proposal received an immediate positive response from Russian officials.
Russia also expressed interest in supporting Bangladesh in developing its national AI policy and establishing centres of excellence for artificial intelligence research and innovation.
Dr Rahman is visiting Russia from June 7 to 9 and is accompanied by Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir.
Officials said the visit reflects growing efforts by both countries to deepen cooperation in labour migration, trade, technology and other areas of mutual interest.
