Expat cardholders to get airfare discounts

Expatriate Bangladeshis holding the government's proposed Expatriate Card will receive special benefits, including discounts on air tickets and access to airport lounges, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam has said.

She made the remarks at a meeting on Tuesday in the conference room of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism at the Bangladesh Secretariat. The meeting discussed the roles and responsibilities of airport-related organisations in implementing the Expatriate Card.

The minister said the government had taken initiatives to ensure all possible facilities for expatriate Bangladeshis.

"Bangladesh Biman has taken a policy decision in principle to offer special discounts on air tickets and access to the Balaka Lounge," she said.

The government has already introduced a shuttle bus service at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for the convenience of passengers, she said, adding that it is committed to ensuring hassle-free aviation services for expatriates.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said the government was also considering offering special discounts to expatriates at hotels and motels operated by the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.

He said arrangements would also be made to provide expatriates with priority check-in and boarding facilities through the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

"Expatriates will be able to avail themselves of these facilities through the Expatriate Card introduced by the current government," he said.

At the beginning of the meeting, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury outlined the areas of cooperation required from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and its agencies to implement the Expatriate Card, which is part of the government's election manifesto.