The ‘e-passport’ program for Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia has been inaugurated at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The program was inaugurated in the embassy auditorium with the participation of expatriate dignitaries, professionals, media personalities and a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis of various classes and professions.
In the opening ceremony, Assistant Project Director Major Sumirian Sadekin from Dhaka gave a clear idea to the audience about the process of e-passport application in Bangladesh and Bangladesh embassies abroad.
He said applicants can apply for 5-year or 10-year tenure and e-passport will be provided within one month of receipt of application. Later, the technical team answered various queries of expatriates about e-passport.
The official and technical team of Dhaka’s e-passport project were present at the opening ceremony on Friday (September 13) chaired by the Charge d’Affaires of the Saudi Arabian Embassy, SM Rakibullah.
A documentary on ‘e-passport and automatic border control project’ was screened on the occasion. After the formal inauguration, the President of the program handed over e-passport enrollment slips to some applicants. Besides, an electronic travel permit was provided to an applicant for the first time.
While speaking as the President, Charge the Affairs said that the ‘e-passport’ service was launched as the 46th mission of Bangladesh in Saudi Arabia. So far 20 booths have been set up in the embassy to provide e-passport services. Also, e-passport applications will be accepted while providing consular services of the embassy in various cities. He said, along with e-passport, electronic travel permit service has also been started at the embassy. Also, if anyone has any queries about e-passport, he/she is requested to contact the toll-free number of the embassy or visit the embassy directly to the relevant branch. Addressing the expatriates, he said, the government is always striving to facilitate services for the expatriates. He requested the expatriates to send more and more remittances through legal channels for the development of the country.
Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia express their satisfaction and thanks for launching the e-passport program of Saudi Arabia. At the end of the ceremony, prayers were offered for the welfare of the country and nation. The program was conducted by the first secretary of the passport and visa wing of the embassy Md. Jamirul Islam.
As a result of the official inauguration, from now on all expatriate Bangladeshi citizens living in Saudi Arabia can take serial online to apply for e-passport. Officials of the e-passport project will go to Jeddah on Saturday to launch the service at the Bangladesh Consulate General.
