Is Bangladeshi visa too easy to obtain?
ONLY those who have gone through the grill know it well that it is not easy to obtain the needed visa to go to India or Pakistan or America or Britain or Thailand or Singapore. One has to endure onslaught of rain, dust, scorching sun, traffic congestion, and disappointment and often humiliation to get a visa from the missions of these countries. When it comes to Bangladeshis it is said that visa officials of those countries are extra cautious and careful before putting their OK seal on the application form.
But I am curious to know what does it take for a foreign national to obtain a visa from Bangladesh missions abroad, like in Pakistan, India and the Middle-East? Do they have to face the same grilling we face in the foreign missions in Dhaka -- standing in a serpentine line since five in the morning? Have we ever thought about it or brought it up for discussion or done some investigation to find out the visa criteria followed in our missions? From the look of things, it seems it is too easy to get a visa to go to Bangladesh. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Why am I talking about our visa system? Well, possibly only a cynic would agree with me that there are ominous indications, signs and forewarnings that Bangladesh is fast becoming a hotbed of rendezvous for international crime syndicates. Just look around and you will find medicine smugglers, gold smugglers, heroine peddlers, small arms peddlers and terrorism peddlers from all around the region are coming and going at will, thanks to the very, very liberal visa officials at our foreign missions. What do they do here and how do they meet their expenses should be a headache of the intelligence agencies of the country.
The recent arrest of some dangerous foreign terrorist operatives in the country only proves the point that ours is a favourite destination for the international criminals. Did we ever wonder aloud how did they enter our country in the first place? Who gave them the visa? Who checked their papers at the immigration at the airport? It seems those Bangladeshi officials out there are so "kind" to the thugs and crooks that they cannot say no to them even if they look dangerous enough to scare the daylight out of you.
Those hardened criminals from Pakistan, India, Middle-East and God knows where else obtain a visit visa or business visa or student visa from our missions and enter Bangladesh to materialise their evil intents. There is no shortage of anti-people and anti-Bangladesh elements in this country to provide them shelter and support. Once they are here they manage to obtain a Bangladeshi passport and start to live like one of us, and even manage to "obtain" a wife!
Though once in a while some smugglers get caught at some entry points, or inside the city, that is not enough. The first check points should be our missions abroad. They must not be allowed to come to Bangladesh, and for that matter getting a visa for Bangladesh must be made very, very tough. Our visa officials and staff members in the visa department must have a list of criminals and criminally inclined people who might apply for visa. They must learn to turn down suspicious applications. They must do it for the love of the country.
Finally it comes down on our foreign office and the Ministry of Foreign affairs to act fast. It is their solemn responsibility to take cognisance of the fact that hardened criminals are entering our country and doing anti-state activities. Therefore, they should sit down in full earnest and prepare a whole new set of visa criteria for foreign nationals. An applicant must fulfil those terms and conditions to obtain a visa. Our visa officials and staff members must show their utmost allegiance to the well-being of the country.
It always pays to be careful and pre-emptive. Many of our citizens are under threats from national and international criminals. This has to be taken seriously. Our markets are being flooded with smuggled gold, sarees, cosmetics, electronic goods, CDs, and apparently terrorists of every size, colour and nationality. This is not a good sign for our economy. For the security and safety of the citizens and the state itself our intelligence agencies must outwit these criminals. They must act before the criminals strike. It is a dangerous game. And we must be vigilant round the clock. So stop them in their tracks in their own homeland. Don't give them visas.
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