Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
2 immigration booths for Bangladeshi expats soon
DEEPAK ACHARJEE, Dhaka
The government is going to set up two different immigration booths at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for the first time to provide separate immigration facilities to the expatriate Bangladeshis. The Security Service Division of the home ministry, in cooperation with the Special Branch of Bangladesh Police, will set up the booths in accordance with the decision of the expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry, to ease the sufferings of the expatriate Bangladeshis, sources in both the ministries said. The Security Service Division of the home ministry is currently scrutinising the proposal to set up two separate immigration booths at the airport, the sources added.
At present, there is no immigration booth for expatriate Bangladeshis at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport though thousands of Bangladeshi workers go abroad for work. Also, a number of expatriate Bangladeshis enter the country every day. Most of them face various problems at the airports.
The joint secretary (mission and welfare wing) of the expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry, Nasreen Jahan, told The Independent that they have asked the home ministry to set up immigration booths for the expatriate Bangladeshis soon as per the decision taken at the meeting.
We have taken some other decisions to ease the sufferings of expatriate Bangladeshis at the airports. These decisions have been sent to the ministries and divisions concerned for implementation, she said.
According to the decision taken at the meeting, the expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry has asked the authorities concerned, especially the immigration and civil aviation authorities, to order their staff members working in the airport to behave with the expatriate Bangladeshis at the airport with due respect, the sources said.
The sources added that the expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry has asked the civil aviation ministry to appoint an official to monitor the luggage management inside the airport to ensure that various items of luggage of the expatriate Bangladeshis do not go missing.
Numerous allegations have been levelled against a section of the staff of the civil aviation authority working at the airport of pilfering the luggage of the expatriate Bangladeshis, often under the pretext of checking.
The sources added that the expatriates welfare ministry has also asked the authorities concerned to set up a helpdesk inside the airport to provide phone services to the family members of the expatriate Bangladeshis so that they can communicate with their family members after landing at the airport.
The expatriates welfare ministry has already set up eight desks, including Probashi Kalyan Desks (expatriates welfare desks) and cargo desks, at the countrys three international airportsHazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport and Sylhet Osmani International Airportto provide the necessary services to the expatriate Bangladeshis.
Over a crore expatriate Bangladeshis currently work in 165 countries.
