News Flash
DHAKA, Oct 15, 2025 (BSS) - Executive Chairman (State Minister) of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun today said that the government is undertaking significant efforts to modernize its visa system by digitizing fee payments and refining overall visa policy.
"Substantial work is currently underway to digitize the payment of visa fees. This planned overhaul would allow for online payment, enabling applicants to potentially complete the transaction from home and eliminating the need for a physical visit to pay the fees," he said.
The BIDA chief made these remarks while speaking as the chair at a workshop on "Work Permit and Security Clearance Process" at the BIDA multipurpose hall in the city.
In his speech, Ashik Chowdhury noted that the government is conducting a substantial amount of work on the overall visa policy itself.
This comprehensive policy refinement is intended to address and resolve persistent issues within the current system, he added.
He mentioned that the process for online security clearance commenced on October 1.
"The total number of required documents was consolidated and drastically reduced from 34 to 11. This was a significant achievement, as various directions had previously led to requests for multiple different papers," he added.
Ashik Chowdhury, however, emphasized that BIDA's operations, alongside all other government activities, must maintain no compromise regarding national security.
He stated that they do not wish to undertake anything that might question or compromise national security.
He asserted that all entities-whether the Home Ministry or BIDA-share the same ultimate objective, metaphorically stating their focus is exactly the same direction.
The goal, he said, is for all agencies to work together to resolve problems while meticulously ensuring the national interest is well-served.
Addressing the fragmented landscape of investment promotion agencies (BIDA, BEZA, and Hi-Tech Park), Ashik Chowdhury explained that from the perspective of an investor, all these bodies represent Bangladesh, regardless of which entity they approach.
Therefore, the investor's experience must be uniform, he added.
He argued there is no justification for the work permit application process to differ between, for example, BIDA and BEZA, given the investor is seeking permission within the same country.
He confirmed that all relevant bodies are striving to work together in a coordinated manner.
At the workshop, National Security Intelligence (NSI), Special Branch (SB), Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) delivered their presentation.
Among others, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Md Delwar Hossain and BIDA Director General Md Ariful Hoque spoke on occasion.
Ariful Hoque said that the meeting focused on specific information and challenges faced by various security and administrative agencies, including the SB, NSI, the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP), and other relevant organizations.
Echoing the spirit of unified effort, he stressed that all parties involved constitute a family working together with the same objective.
He urged officials working at the field level to continue sharing the experiences they encounter or the problems they face.
Reporting these ground realities will simplify the process of making subsequent decisions, he added.
