Issuance of travel permits to be expedited, for expats willing to return to Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh has said that the issuance of travel permits to Bangladeshis in Maldives who are willing to return to Bangladesh, will be accelerated.

This came in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Bangladeshi High Commission in the Maldives.

According to the statement, a meeting took place between a Bangladeshi delegation and officials of the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Maldives on Tuesday, during which it was decided to establish a Joint Technical Committee, consisting of three members from the Bangladeshi High Commission and five members from the Immigration Department of the Maldives.

The High Commission said that it was also agreed – in addition to accelerating the issuance of travel permits - that documentation of the rest of the Bangladeshi expatriates whose details have not yet been recorded in Maldives, will be taken up very shortly.

The Immigration Department agreed to take steps to ensure that passports are not taken away from Bangladeshi expatriates except for processing visa or fulfilling other obligations required by the government.

Both sides also agreed to launch a campaign to increase awareness regarding the consequences of taking away passports of expatriates, including measures that will be taken against perpetrators.