BD awaits official decision on Oman visa resumption

The government of Bangladesh has not yet received any official communication regarding the recent media reports about the lifting of Oman's visa ban for Bangladeshis and the issuance of visas in 12 categories. Officials from the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment are yet to provide any definitive information on the matter. They mentioned that they learned about Oman resuming visa issuance to Bangladeshis through media reports. Meanwhile, Bangladeshis hoping to travel to Oman have urged the government to take swift action.

According to the latest data from the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI), approximately 546,000 Bangladeshis are living in Oman. However, several private organisations estimate this number to exceed 700,000. Since Oman imposed a visa ban on October 31 last year, the issuance of visas to Bangladeshis in any category has ceased. Consequently, the number of Bangladeshis entering Oman dropped by nearly 20 percent in the three months leading up to December 2023. While 28,201 Bangladeshis went to Oman on various visas in September, this number fell to 22,312 in December.

On October 31, 2023, the Oman Royal Police issued a circular announcing the suspension of visas for all categories of Bangladeshi nationals. The country also halted the acceptance of applications for converting tourist visas to employment visas. Following the ban, the Oman Embassy in Dhaka released a statement indicating that the measure was temporary and intended to protect the legal rights of foreign workers, with a review to follow within a certain period.

Despite these assurances, no positive updates have emerged regarding Oman's labor market six months after the ban. On May 9, The Daily Messenger published a story highlighting this lack of progress. In the report, Sirajul Haque, chairman of the Bangladesh Social Club in Oman, expressed his concerns, stating that while there has been ongoing discussion about the introduction of Oman visas for Bangladeshi citizens, no tangible progress has been made. He urged the government to address and resolve the issue promptly.

On October 31, 2023, the Oman Royal Police issued a circular announcing the suspension of visas for all categories of Bangladeshi nationals. The country also halted the acceptance of applications for converting tourist visas to employment visas. Following the ban, the Oman Embassy in Dhaka released a statement indicating that the measure was temporary and intended to protect the legal rights of foreign workers, with a review to follow within a certain period.

Despite these assurances, no positive updates have emerged regarding Oman's labour market six months after the ban. On May 9, The Daily Messenger published a story highlighting this lack of progress. In the report, Sirajul Haque, chairman of the Bangladesh Social Club in Oman, expressed his concerns, stating that while there has been ongoing discussion about the introduction of Oman visas for Bangladeshi citizens, no tangible progress has been made. He urged the government to address and resolve the issue promptly.

In the last week of May, State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury visited the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman to expand the Middle East labour market and address temporary issues. During this visit, he met with Oman’s Minister of Labour, Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baawain, and appealed for the lifting of the visa ban on Bangladeshi citizens. Prior to this, Oman had been working positively towards lifting the visa ban for Bangladeshis.

On May 29, The Times of Oman reported that the Oman government was considering introducing visas for Bangladeshi citizens in 12 categories. The report, quoting Sirajul Haque, chairman of the Bangladesh Social Club Oman, mentioned that Oman was planning to offer family visas, visit visas, doctor visas, engineer visas, nurse visas, teacher visas, accountant visas, investor visas, and all types of official visas for Bangladeshi citizens living in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.

However, no official announcements have been made by either the Bangladesh or Oman governments following this report.

In this regard, Gazi Md. Shahed Anwar, Deputy Secretary (Employment-3) of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare, told the Daily Messenger that although the State Minister visited Oman last week and learned from the media about the reintroduction of visas for Bangladesh in 12 categories, no official letter has been received. The Bangladesh Embassy in Oman has also not provided any specific information. Anwar mentioned that due to complications arisen over Malaysia issues, attention has not been paid on Oman.

Experts suggest that Oman can serve as a positive example in the Middle East labour market. The Bangladeshi diaspora in Oman is known for its perseverance and hard work, which has earned them recognition and appreciation.