Bangladesh will be signing a ‘visa-on-arrival’ agreement with Kuwait today for diplomats and officials of both countries, with a view to strengthening relations between the two friendly countries, sources in the ministries of home and foreign affairs said. The home ministry, in cooperation with foreign affairs and other ministries, has finalised a draft of the agreement, titled ‘Agreement on Mutual Exemption of Prior Entry Visa for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports’. Senior secretary of the home ministry, Dr Mozammel Haque Khan, and the top official of the respective ministry of Kuwait will sign the agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Kuwait’s prime minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Bangladesh is set to sign two other agreements, ‘Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment’ and defence cooperation, according to the sources. The prime minister of Kuwait is in Dhaka on a three-day official visit.
Additional Secretary (security and immigration), Mostafa Kamal Uddin, told The Independent that it is an achievement for the government to sign a visa-on-arrival agreement with a Middle East country. “Relations between the two countries would be strengthened by the agreement,” he said. The senior official said they are planning to sign such agreements with other Middle East countries soon. Article 2 of the draft agreement says: “Nationals of both parties who are holders of passports of the types mentioned in Article 1 of this agreement, may enter into the territory of the other party, without a visa and fees for a period of time continuous or several stays not exceeding 90 days, in six months from the first date of entry.”
“The holders of diplomatic and official passports, who are accredited in the territory of the other party, as well as their spouses and underage children, who accompany them and live with them, may enter the territory of the other party, without a visa for a period of employment, provided that notice is given to the other party thirty days before arrival,” the agreement adds. Article 3 of the draft agreement says: “Nationals of both parties, who are holders of passports, may extend the duration of their stay, after expiration of the period mentioned, after the approval of the competent authorities in the other party to extend the duration of their stay, in accordance with legal provisions in force in the country of the other party.” Sources said the government is in communication with a number of countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Peru, Brazil, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Albania, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the UAE, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Bahrain, Iraq and Japan.