Expats in Qatar seek reforms, praise CA Yunus’ leadership

Appreciating the government's efforts to support the remittance fighters abroad, expatriate Bangladeshis in Qatar sought a number of measures from the interim government, including reduction of cargo charges from Bangladesh.

In a session with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in Doha yesterday (24 April), the Bangladesh community leaders sought initiatives to facilitate easy migration for Bangladeshi professional job seekers in collaboration with the Qatari government.

They also sought prompt legal assistance to expatriates from the embassy and new and bigger premises for the Bangladesh Embassy in Doha.

Modernisation of the existing school and building of a new English medium school, an end to harassment for tax issues and charging remittance fee based on income.   

The chief adviser listened to all these issues and assured them of full cooperation from the government.

He asked the senior officials to note and take necessary actions to address the issues and concerns of the expatriate community. 

Prominent Bangladeshi businessman in Qatar Md Alamgir Hossain Ali said expatriates should no longer be harassed at the airport.

He said the diasporas should be served with due respect and compassion while entering or exiting the country.

Ali, who is living in Qatar for over 34 years, also raised the demand for the introduction of a separate immigration service, especially for those travelling with their families, so that they can enter and exit the country easily, safely, and with dignity.

"Yunus listened to us very attentively and provided logical, humane and future-oriented answers to each point. His speech reflected the brilliance of leadership, sweetness of heart and love for people," Ali told UNB after the meeting.

All the expatriate leaders present were happy, inspired and confident after listening to his words, Ali said, adding that his (Yunus) promise has lit a light of hope among our expatriates.

"When an international personality like Yunus Sir pays attention to the problems and possibilities of the expatriates, then the expatriates feel respected, not neglected," he said.

Welcoming the expatriate community, the chief adviser expressed gratitude to them for their hard work and efforts in keeping the positive image of the country in Qatar and for managing time to attend the event despite their busy schedules.

He extended sincere thanks and appreciation for their contribution to the national economy and to the country's development activities by way of their valuable remittances.

The chief adviser hoped that with their help and cooperation, the interim government would be able to meet the challenges facing the economy and carry out the reform initiatives and rebuilding processes undertaken by his government.

He called them the assets of the country and asked for their counsel and suggestions for building the new Bangladesh where all can live in a free society with honour and dignity.

The chief adviser also urged the businessmen to come to Bangladesh with their knowledge, expertise and money, and invest in booming sectors.

In his brief comments, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain shared his observations regarding the existing and future state of the manpower market in Qatar and outlined the prospect of sending skilled workers/professionals to Qatar.

He highlighted several initiatives of the present government taken for the overall well-being of the expatriate community abroad.

He also addressed the concerns of expatriates and assured them of efforts to resolve such issues.

The foreign adviser instructed the embassy officials to extend legal assistance for the expatriates in getting their rights as well as providing all support services, including e-passport service, consular services, etc.

In his intervention, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan shared with the meeting how the interim government paid lending dues left by the last government, including the 254 million dollar LNG dues to the Qatari government.

He urged the expatriate community to send more remittances to the country to keep alive the battered economy.

The Bangladesh community members appreciated Yunus' leadership in putting the country back on track with improved overall economic performance.

During the programme, the Community leaders drew attention to the following issues:

During the community meeting, the chief adviser was also accompanied by National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Senior Secretary and SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, Bangladesh Ambassador to Qatar Md Nazrul Islam, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, senior officials from the Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Around 100 expatriates, including academics, doctors, businessmen, investors and professionals, attended the event