Bangladesh has urged Bahrain to work towards easing the process of applying as well as obtaining Bahraini visas for Bangladeshi nationals. Bangladesh also requested Bahrain to approve the re-entry of its 207 stranded workers and 150 stranded families whose visas expired during the pandemic time. The issues were discussed at the long-awaited first round of the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between Bangladesh and Bahrain in Manama Sunday. Bahrain assured Bangladesh of solving the issues at the earliest. Read: Climate Change: UN, Bangladesh to strengthen cooperation The Bangladesh delegation was led by Secretary (East) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mashfee Binte Shams. The Bahrain delegation was led by Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. During the meeting, the two sides also stressed the importance of forming a "strategic partnership" between the countries to promote the steady growth of bilateral relationships. "Mashfee requested Bahrain to open its labour market to new Bangladeshi workers. Her Bahrain counterpart underscored a fair and transparent recruitment system," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Bangladesh side mentioned a few good models by which Bangladeshis are being recruited for overseas employment. Also, the government has taken a zero-tolerance policy against illegal migration and signed MoU to prevent human trafficking in some countries, it added. The delegations from both sides sought each other's support and cooperation in trade, economics, labour, youth, sports, airing candidacies in international elections, mutual exchange of visits of senior-level officials, blue economy, and the signing of pending bilateral instruments that are yet to be finalised and several other topics of mutual interest. Read: Bangladesh, Cyprus keen to expand cooperation on public safety The secretary briefed the Bahrain side about Bangladesh's recent remarkable progress in socio-economic development as well as the government's efforts to establish the country as the regional hub of connectivity. Mashfee requested the undersecretary to consider exporting fertiliser to Bangladesh and importing agricultural foods from Bangladesh. She also sought Bahraini support for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis. The undersecretary appreciated the role of Bangladeshi expatriates in the development efforts of Bahrain, contributing to the economies of both countries. The secretary invited the undersecretary to visit Bangladesh at the earliest opportunity. The next round of FOC will be held in Dhaka in 2023.

The government of Bahrain has agreed to allow 161 stranded Bangladeshi workers back to Bahrain under a special arrangement after six months of Bangladesh’s request. Bangladesh Embassy in Manama has requested the Bangladeshis, who remain out of the list, not to get frustrated but try to convince their owners or sponsors in Bahrain for their re-entry. Also read: Malaysia to start taking workers from Bangladesh this month: Minister “It’s unfortunate but true that most of the sponsors are not willing to bring them (Bangladeshi workers) back to Bahrain (due to Covid-related economic problem),” said Bangladesh Ambassador to Bahrain Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam in a Facebook live recently, noting that number that remains out of the approved list is over 800. He said the embassy will inform all if the Bahrain government allows more Bangladeshis to return to Bahrain. The ambassador said no decision has been made yet regarding opening of new visas. “We are working on that.” It was announced that the sponsors who are trying to bring their stranded 161 Bangladeshi workers back to Bahrain can follow the prescribed procedure to avoid facing the difficulties in the e-visa platform. Also read: Qatar keen to recruit workers from Bangladesh during FIFA World Cup The sponsors who have business accounts with the immigration can directly use the e-visa platform, said the embassy. The sponsors who do not have a business account with the immigration can apply for a visit visa in person with the necessary documents on behalf of their workers.

Bangladesh conceded a 0-2 defeat to a superior Bahrain in the opening Group E match of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Wednesday. The result of the Bangladesh- Bahrain football match in the President's Cup Football in Seoul 1979, when Bangladesh suffered a 0-2 defeat, was repeated today. The No. 188-ranked Bangladesh played out a goalless draw against the No. 159-ranked Indonesia in a FIFA international friendly in Bandung, West Java last Wednesday. Despite conceding two goals within eight minutes, the men in red and green put up a good fight against the No. 89-ranked Bahrain. READ: AFC Asian Cup: Bangladesh to play stronger Bahrain on Wednesday In the day's match, midfielder Ali Abdula Haram put Bahrain ahead in the 32nd minute with a spectacular header, using a corner kick of Komail Alaswad (1-0). Midfielder Komail Hasan Al Aswad scored the second goal for the Gulf nation in the 42nd minute (2-0). Foiling several Bahrain attempts, four in the first half, Bangladesh goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico again showed his brilliance. Bahrain earned a well-deserved victory, but Bangladesh showed a good mentality and played well in the second half.  Earlier, Bangladesh were placed in strong Group E of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with Bahrain, Turkmenistan, and hosts Malaysia. They will play against Turkmenistan on June 11 and will face hosts Malaysia on June 14.

Bangladesh National Football team, now in Malaysia, will play higher ranked Bahrain in the opening Group E match of the AFC Asian Cup China' 2023 Qualifiers on Wednesday. The match will kick off at 3:15 pm Bangladesh time at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.  Also read: AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings stay in race beating Indian 2nd tier champions Bangladesh played Bahrain once in 43 years ago in the President's Cup Football in South Korea in 1979 and lost the match by 0-2 goal. The latest FIFA international ranking of Bahrain is 89 against Bangladesh's current ranking 188. Earlier, Bangladesh put in strong Group E of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers with  Bahrain, Turkmenistan and hosts Malaysia, scheduled for May 8 to May 14 in Kuala Lumpur. All the four participating teams now in the  Malaysian capital to compete in the Group E matches of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. In the remaining group matches, Bangladesh  will play Turkmenistan on June 11 and will face hosts Malaysia on June 14. Ahead of the tough match against the gulf nation Bahrain, Bangladesh team made their final practice session at PKNS sports ground in Kuala Lumpur from 5pm to 6:30 pm local time. Earlier  on  Wednesday (June 1), injury grabbed Bangladesh team played to a goalless draw with 29 ranked higher Indonesia in a FIFA Tier-1 Int'l  Friendly match in Bandung of West Java, Indonesia. Also read: AFC Cup Football: Liston Colaco's hat-trick guides Mohun Bagan to crush Bashundhara Kings 4-0 Bangladeshi nationals  in Malaysia are very much  encouraged and enthusiastic about the team's performance in the AFC Asian Cup following their brave fight against Indonesia.  The Bangladesh fans gathered at the airport to greet the football  team and attended the team's practice sessions  to encourage team, according to video clip sent by BFF from Malaysia on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has urged the Bahrain government to take back expatriate Bangladeshis who got stuck here due to the Covid-19 situation.

The Bahrain government has regularized visas of 30,000 Bangladeshis amid the COVID-19 pandemic under the nine-month general amnesty from April to December last year with 25,000 more irregular Bangladeshis there.

The United States called Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates “major security partners” early Saturday, a previously unheard of designation for the two countries home to major American military operations.

Bangladesh’s has announced a day’s state mourning for Tuesday as a mark of respect to the memory of world's longest serving prime minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

Bahrain’s Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, one of the world’s longest-serving prime ministers who led his island nation’s government for decades and survived the 2011 Arab Spring protests that demanded his ouster over corruption allegations, died on Wednesday. He was 84.

Israel has operated the first-ever direct commercial flight to Bahrain on Wednesday, a week after signed an agreement with the island kingdom along with the UAE.