'Repatriation of sentenced persons among agreements to be signed with Qatar'

Bangladesh and Qatar will sign four to five agreements soon to further boost bilateral relationships, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said today.

One of the agreements will be for the repatriation of sentenced persons, the state minister told reporters after the first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two countries was held at state guesthouse Meghna in Dhaka.

Under the agreement, if any Bangladeshi expatriate is sentenced to prison in Qatar, he or she can be brought back to Bangladesh and serve the jail sentence here, said Shahriar, who led the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting.

He said they are expecting to sign the new agreements in the next three to four months.

At present, some 3.5 lakh Bangladeshis are living in Qatar, working in various capacities, Shahriar said.

The state minister also said that they have almost finalised an agreement over visa-free entry of diplomats and officials to Qatar.

Besides, there will be an agreement on "avoidance of double taxation", he added.

Qatar Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi headed the country's delegation at the meeting.

At the FOC, delegates from both countries also discussed cooperation regarding elections of different international bodies including the United Nations, said Shahriar.

Besides, ways to enhance high-level visits between the two countries were also discussed elaborately, he said.