Staff Correspondent:

Italy has expressed interest in hiring more manpower from Bangladesh as part of efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Home Advisor Lt Gen (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said while addressing a press conference held at his ministry office in Dhaka on Monday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the home adviser held a meeting with Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and discussed the issues related to illegal immigration and security.

Around one lakh Bangladeshis are now residing in Italy, a First-World country with high-income economies, advanced industrial development and stable democracies and they are now doing good, said the home adviser.

In response to the call of the Italian minister, Jahangir Alam also asked the people not to attempt to enter the country illegally.

He said Italy is interested in ensuring advanced training for the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) so that they can deal with criminals and criminal offences with skills and competence.

Discussion on how the mutual development between the two countries can be strengthened also took place during the meeting, he said.