Expatriate card to be issued within two months: Expatriates' Welfare Minister

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has said that an 'expatriate card' with special facilities will be issued within the next two months.

The minister made the announcement while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled 'Globalizing Sylhet', organised to highlight Sylhet's immense potential on the global stage and the vital role of the expatriate community in economic development, on Saturday, May 16.

The government is preparing special housing and investment support projects to ensure safe and easy investment for expatriates, the minister said. With land becoming scarce, a plan has been adopted to build modern apartment-based housing instead of plot-based projects in the future.

Discussions have been held with the prime minister on this matter, and only expatriates will receive allocations in these housing projects. The apartment-based modern housing project for expatriates may begin in Sylhet itself, he added.

Such initiatives are necessary to keep the new generation of expatriates connected to the country, Ariful Haque Chowdhury said. An environment must be created so that future generations do not forget their motherland. When they come to the country, they will invest and family bonds will also strengthen.

Regarding the modernisation and service expansion of Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, the minister said construction of a separate lounge for expatriates at the airport has already begun.

Additionally, a medical unit is being set up in the immigration area with doctors, nurses and necessary medical facilities to ensure healthcare services. Permanent ambulance arrangements are also being made at the airport to quickly transport critically ill expatriates to hospitals.

The government has also introduced a system to bring the bodies of expatriates who die abroad back to the country and deliver them to their homes free of cost, the minister said.

The minister praised the contribution of expatriates' remittances and investment in Sylhet's development and globalisation, and assured all cooperation from the government.

Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Kayum Chowdhury and Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury were present at the seminar.