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UAE amnesty: Bangladesh consulate issues 200 one-way permits

Dubai - Over 500 Bangladeshi expats were catered to at the consulate premises.

The Bangladesh consulate in Dubai issued 200 one-way travel permits on the opening day of the amnesty while catering to over 500 Bangladeshi expats at the consulate premises in Abu Hail, a top Bangladeshi diplomat told Khaleej Times.

"We had a massive turnout on Day 1 just as we expected and successfully managed to issue travel certificates to 200 eligible Bangladeshis," said ASM Zakir Hussain, Head of the Labour Welfare Wing at the Bangladesh consulate in Dubai.

"We are prepared to issue even more travel permits in the subsequent days," he further said, adding that his team at the consulate is also expecting to add temporary resources over the next few weeks to meet the amnesty rush.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Shahidullah, Bangladesh's representative at the GDRFA centre in Al Aweer on Day 1, said he was approached by close to 100 Bangladeshis at the help desk, all keen to either modify their visa status or leave the country using the amnesty.

An estimated 800,000 Bangladeshis reside in UAE. Approximately two-thirds of the community lives and works in Dubai, Sharjah and the northern emirates and is served by the Bangladesh consulate in Dubai.

According to Hussain, those without a passport or any form of identification can get a one-way travel permit issued by the consulate at a special discounted rate of Dh20 valid only during the three-month amnesty that ends October 31.