Muscat, Oman (BBN)-Bangladesh has started offering visas on arrival to Omanis in order to boost bilateral ties between the two countries, said a senior official of the Bangladesh Embassy in Muscat, reports Times of Oman.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Bangladesh Ambassador to Oman, Sheikh Sekander Ali, said the facility would benefit more than 1,100 Omanis who visit Bangladesh annually for tourism, business, recruitment of workers, and to attend a religious congregation.
"Citizens will get one month visas at Bangladesh airports by paying the visa fee of OMR12 or equivalent (amount in) dollars," he said.
Bangladesh hopes that this will boost its trade ties with Oman. "Bilateral trade is on the rise since 2009-2010 when Bangladesh's exports to Oman were at $0.97 million and imports from Oman were at $16.2 million.
The figure has increased and at the end of 2013 (July 2012 to June 2013), Bangladeshi exports to Oman had increased to $10.04 million and imports from Oman had doubled to touch $31.75 million," said Mohammad Khorshed Khastagir, Counsellor, Embassy of Bangladesh, Muscat.
Bangladesh can offer Oman a basket of products competitive both in terms of price and quality such as ready-made garments and knitwear, tea, vegetables, spices, fruits, coffee, and vegetable and fruit juices, non-alcoholic beverages, footwear, car batteries, leather and leather products, ceramics and tableware, handicrafts, jute and jute products, toiletries and cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals etc.
On the other hand, Oman considers Bangladesh as a potential destination to export mineral fuel, petroleum products, organic chemicals and chemical products, base metal products etc.
Underlining the enhanced bilateral relations between Oman and Bangladesh, the ambassador said that the past few years have been the most significant for both the countries.
"Bangladesh's foreign minister visited Oman in April 2012 and set a new course for the bilateral relations.
The Bangladesh foreign minister's visit was reciprocated by the Omani authorities as they announced (the decision) to establish a full-fledged Embassy of the Sultanate in Bangladesh through a Royal Decree issued in September 2012. The Embassy of the Sultanate was relocated to the new independent premises in late 2013.
The then Bangladesh Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment visited Oman in early May 2013 and had bilateral meetings with the Omani counterparts and discussed ways and means to improve the existing relations regarding recruitment of skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Bangladesh in the prospective fields," he said.
Early last month, a four-member delegation comprising senior officials of the Ministry of Manpower of the Sultanate visited Bangladesh to exchange views on matters of mutual interest. "A delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries visited Bangladesh in 2013 to explore opportunities for collaboration in the fields of agriculture and allied sectors," he said.
Oman Air and Bangladesh Biman operate a large number of flights weekly, building bridges between the two nations.
Additionally, United Airways (BD) Limited of Bangladesh will resume its flight on the Chittagong-Muscat-Chittagong route from April 15, 2014.
According to officials, there will be weekly three flights from Chittagong to Muscat which will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flights will depart from Chittagong at 2230 hours, and will return from Muscat on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 0230 hours.
BBN/ANS/AD/01Apr14-4:25 pm (BST)
