The process of signing "visa-on-arrival" agreements for the diplomats and officials of 27 more countries are going on to strengthen relations with those countries, said sources in the ministries of home and foreign affairs. The home ministry, in cooperation with the foreign affairs ministry and other ministries, has already finalised a draft agreement titled "Agreement on Mutual Exemption of Prior Entry Visa for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports". The countries that are likely to  sign the agreements are: Qatar, Lebanon, Oman, Iraq, Netherlands, Canada, Croatia, Colombia, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Iran, Nigeria, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Albania, Azerbaijan,  South Africa, Pakistan, Peru, Burkina Faso, Brazil and Afghanistan.
The Bangladesh government has already signed “visa-on-arrival” agreements with 18 countries to get on-arrival visas for their diplomats and officials. These countries are: Russia, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, India, Philippine, Cambodia, Belarus, Laos, Turkey, Chili, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Maldives and the Republic of Korea.
A senior official of the foreign affairs ministry told The Independent that the Bangladesh foreign minister, who is currently visiting visiting Qatar, is trying to finalise a draft of the “visa-on-arrival” agreement to be signed by the diplomatic and official passport holders of the two countries. “The home ministry has prepared a draft ‘visa-on-arrival’ agreement between Bangladesh and Qatar for the two countries’ diplomats and officials,” he said.
 “Relations between the two countries would be strengthened by the agreement,” he added.  According to the draft agreement: “Nationals of both countries who are holders of diplomatic and official passports may enter the territory of the each other without any visa and charges for a period of time continuous or several stays, not exceeding 90 days in six months from the first date of entry.”
 “All holders of diplomatic and official passports who are accredited in the territory of the other party, as well as their spouses and underage children living with them, may enter the territory of each other without a visa for a period of employment, provided that a notice in this regard is given to the other party  30 days before arrival,” the agreement says.  Sources said the government is in communication with several countries, especially some gulf states and other Asian countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, to sign such agreements to get on-arrival visas.