Visa Facilities for Bangladeshi Citizens in Kuwait and Local Banking Issues

Bangladeshi citizens are now enjoying visa facilities in Kuwait without needing special approval, according to Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain. This recent development was confirmed by Ambassador to Kuwait Major General Syed Tareque Hossain, who also warned against visa forgery. Meanwhile, the adviser raised concerns about irregularities in foreign currency transactions at scheduled banks, including excessive service fees and passport endorsement charges. To address this issue, the government has set a maximum passport endorsement fee of Tk300, which will be enforced by Bangladesh Bank.

Key Takeaways:

• Bangladeshi citizens can now obtain visas from Kuwait without special permission, as revealed by Ambassador to Kuwait Major General Syed Tareque Hossain.
• The visa facilities have been available for the past week, although this information was not publicly announced until now.
• The ambassador has issued a strong warning against any attempts at visa forgery.
• Many scheduled banks in Bangladesh are charging excessive service fees, commissions, and passport endorsement charges for foreign currency transactions.
• To encourage customers to buy foreign currency through formal channels, the government has fixed the passport endorsement fee at a maximum of Tk300.
• Bangladesh Bank has set the rate for the passport endorsement fee, which cannot be exceeded by banks.
• Banks are no longer allowed to charge any additional fees beyond the fixed endorsement amount.
• The adviser has expressed concerns over irregularities in foreign currency transactions at scheduled banks.

Statistics:

• Tk300: the maximum passport endorsement fee set by the government.
• Bangladesh Bank: the central bank responsible for enforcing the fixed passport endorsement fee rate.
• Tk: the Bangladeshi currency used for the passport endorsement fee.
• Past week: the time period during which Bangladeshi citizens have been able to obtain visas from Kuwait without special permission.

Sources:

• Shojib Bhuyain, Asif Mahmud (Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Adviser) verified Facebook post.
• Bangladesh Bank.