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Hundreds of Bangladeshi expatriates in Malaysia’s Johor state have welcomed a special mobile consular service launched by the Bangladesh High Commission, saying the initiative has significantly reduced the time and cost involved in accessing essential government services.
The two-day mobile consular outreach programme began on Saturday at Agrani Remittance House in Johor, where hundreds of Bangladeshi workers and residents gathered from early morning to receive a range of services without travelling to Kuala Lumpur.
The special camp is offering e-passport application processing, biometric enrolment, passport renewals and corrections, document verification and other consular services. The programme will continue on Sunday at the same venue.
Bangladeshis from different districts and industrial areas across Johor travelled to the camp, with many saying they previously had to spend considerable time and money travelling to the capital for routine consular services.
“This initiative has saved us both time and travel expenses,” several expatriates said, expressing hope that such camps would be held regularly in other parts of Malaysia.
Yasin Kabir, Head of the Passport and Visa Wing at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, said the mobile service had been launched under the directive of High Commissioner Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury to bring government services closer to Bangladeshi nationals living outside Kuala Lumpur.
He said the outreach programme is designed to make consular services more accessible for expatriates residing in distant states and that similar initiatives will gradually be expanded across Malaysia.
Officials from the Bangladesh High Commission, together with representatives of ESKL, the Bangladesh government’s authorised outsourcing service provider, are providing services at the camp. Their responsibilities include receiving passport applications, verifying documents, collecting biometric information and completing other necessary formalities.
Members of the Bangladeshi community praised the initiative, saying it has made government services far more accessible, particularly for migrant workers employed in industrial zones and remote areas.
They urged the High Commission to organise similar mobile consular camps on a regular basis in other Malaysian states so that expatriates can obtain essential services without the expense and inconvenience of travelling long distances.