Chittagong Bureau :
Visa complications for Bangladeshi seamen yet to be mitigated. As a result Bangladeshi seamen could not join the globally reputed shipping companies even after appointments.
Bangladeshi seamen are suffering from visa complications for voyage to Singapore, Hongkong, Saudi Arab, Dubai seaports since long which is minimizing the foreign exchange income gradually.
Merchant Marine Officers Association alleged that the seamen of other countries can easily get the specilised visa but Bangladeshi are deprived of that visa and Bangladeshi seamen have to go Singapore and Hongkong with general visa.
The Association urged upon govt for intervention in the matter to get rid of these complications otherwise the large forex income sector will be ruined losing the seamen market globally.
It is learnt that there are 6 thousand trained seamen and 3 thousand crews in the country are serving in this shipping sector but due to visa complications these seamen are facing obstacle.
President of the Association Capt Zillur Rahman told the New Nation that Bangladeshi seamen are facing obstacles for journey to Singapore, Dubai, Taiwan, Thaiwan, Brazil for signing the shipping service. He further said the globally reputed shipping companies engage seamen (sign -in) mostly from Dubai, Singapore, Hongkong based companies but due to visa complications, Bangladeshi seamen could not travel to these countries easily to sign the jobs for boarding the ship.
Association sources said according to Interntional Maritime Organisation (IMO), every seamen has right to board the ship in any foreign seaports whereas Bangladeshis are getting this facilities.
Mentionable that Bangladesh is a member of IMO. At present a large numbers of seamen are deprieved of shipping jobs lack of visas from Singapore, Dubai, Oman, Thailand, Taiwan, Brazil, Turkistan , sources said.
30,000 yaba tablets seized in Teknaf: Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered 30,000 pieces of Yaba tablet worth Tk90 lakh from the Naf River at Jaillardwip in Teknaf upazila on Thursday night.
Tipped off, a team of BGB, led by Subedar Sirajul Islam of Damdamia BoP camp of battalion-42, conducted a raid at Jaillardwip in the river around 8:30 pm and recovered 30,000 pieces of Yaba tablet searching a boat, said commanding officer of BGB-42 Lieutenant Colonel Abu Jar Al Zahid.
However, there was no arrest as the drug smugglers managed to escape the scene.
The seized Yaba tablets were deposited to BGB headquarters.
