Middle-eastern country Qatar has opened its visa center in Bangladesh, says a statement.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employments Minister Nurul Islam BSc and Qatar's Ambassador to Bangladesh Ahmed Mohamed Al-Dehaimi inaugurated the Qatar Visa Center (QVC) in the capital on Tuesday in presence of senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and other dignitaries.
The QVC, the first of Qatar in Bangladesh, was opened under the mandate of the Ministry of Interior of Qatar, with a view to bringing in a comprehensive visa service requiring applicants to enroll biometrics data.
"The State of Qatar has become one of the favourite destinations of Bangladeshi work forces; as the laws in Qatar are set to assure all necessary comforts, facilities and securities for the expatriates," Ambassador Al-Dehaimi said after inaugurating the centre.
"Opening Qatar visa centers in Bangladesh shall be a big step forward in this regard as it will provide all visa related services with first class medical examinations facility and other travel assistances without any cost for all visitors wishing to travel to the State of Qatar," he said.
"These visa centers will reduce the sufferings of the visitors and ensure transparency in visa procedures, and that is in line with the Qatar's Vision - 2030," he added.
At least 350,000 Bangladeshis, mostly workers, are now in the Gulf country.
Qatar has established the QVC making it obligatory for workers to sign work contracts and undergo medical test at the center.
As thousands of workers fly to Qatar every year, the visa service has been introduced to make their immigration more rewarding and systematic, said Qatar officials.
Located at Rupayan Trade Center at Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue of Bangla Motor, the visa center is equipped with state-of-the-art biometric enrollment and medical test facility.
It is designed in line with international standards ensuring greater transparency, traceability and increased security for the visa applicants.
The center operate will between 8:30am to 4:30pm local time from Sunday to Thursday.