Bangladeshis getting Kuwaiti visas without special approval: Asif Mahmud

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan has said that Bangladeshi citizens are now receiving visa facilities from Kuwait without requiring any special approval.

"Bangladeshi expatriates are getting visa facilities from Kuwait without any special permission, and this was officially disclosed by Ambassador to Kuwait, Major General Syed Tareque Hossain," the adviser stated in a verified Facebook post.

He noted that Bangladeshis have been receiving these visa facilities for the past week, although the matter had not been publicly announced earlier. He also mentioned that the ambassador has issued a strong warning against any attempts at visa forgery.

In a separate post, the adviser raised concerns over irregularities by scheduled banks regarding foreign currency transactions.

He mentioned that many banks are charging excessive service fees, commissions, and varying passport endorsement charges while selling foreign currency, discouraging customers from using formal channels.

"To encourage people to buy foreign currency legally, the government has, for the first time, fixed the passport endorsement fee," Sajib said.

"Banks can now charge a maximum of Taka 300 as the passport endorsement fee. Bangladesh Bank set the rate on Sunday. Banks are not allowed to charge any additional fee beyond the fixed endorsement amount," he added.