The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has instructed its officials to cease any harassment of expatriates at airports, including the unnecessary opening of their baggage.
Expatriates, whose income plays a crucial role in bolstering the country's reserves, have reportedly faced various difficulties during their travels.
This directive follows a request from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, which urged the NBR to ensure hassle-free services for Bangladeshi expatriates at airports.
In the letter, the ministry stated that the interim government, led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, is committed to facilitating Bangladeshi expatriate workers and providing better services for them, as they contribute to keeping the country's economy vibrant through remittances.
As a result, customs officials have been instructed to halt any form of harassment towards both inbound and outbound expatriate workers at ports, the letter read.
According to Bangladesh Bank data, the country received $23.91 billion in expatriate remittances during the last fiscal year (2023-24), and $2.22 billion in August this year. Projections suggest that remittance inflows may exceed $2.5 billion in the current month of September.
The increase in remittances in August has been attributed to the renewed confidence and respect given to expatriate workers since the interim government assumed power.
NBR officials stated that all customs officers and employees at airports have already been instructed to assist expatriates more efficiently.
They also addressed complaints regarding excessive checks on expatriates, such as repeated opening of luggage and extended waiting times for unnecessary inspections of items like belts, wallets, shoes, laptops, and mobile phones.
"All necessary checks can be completed via scanning machines at the departing airports without causing any inconvenience to passengers. We aim to create a similar hassle-free environment here," officials said.
The NBR further warned that if any harassment of expatriates occurs after the issuance of these orders, strict action will be taken against the responsible officials.
