Consular Corps in Bangladesh

s not belong to the official diplomatic and consular cadre of the sending state, i,e., not a state-employee, and usually is a well-known and respectable citizen or permanent resident of the receiving state. Furthermore, service as an honorary consul is usually not his or her main source of income. An honorary diplomat is normally appointed by countries who cannot afford or do not wish to spend the substantial amounts required to set up an office. Even for states with greater financial capabilities, the increase of cultural, touristy, economic and trade relations with distant places of the world rendered the performance of consular functions only through diplomatic missions virtually impossible, due to the very nature of the fact that embassies are located only in the capitals of the receiving states while even the richest states may not be able to afford setting up consulates headed by career consuls in every important city of a receiving State where such offices may be required in their own interests. Appointing an Honorary Consul saves them the cost of supporting a staff and sending out their own citizens as full time diplomatic representatives abroad. The work of an honorary consul is exactly the same as that of a career diplomat of the same rank. Typically, this work involves issuing or renewing visas and passports, helping businessmen and tourists with problems, promoting commerce and cultural exchanges. In Bangladesh, Honorary Consular Officers, Consuls General and Consuls have been appointed in Dhaka and Chittagong by as many as 45 countries. Honorary Consuls General/Consuls in Bangladesh have an association, namely, “Consular Corps in Bangladesh in Bangladesh” (CCB) with the following aims and objectives:-

a) To encourage, organize and develop the relationship among the Consuls General/Consuls in Bangladesh and secure and protect their interest in all respect. b) To secure and ensure the facilities, privileges and immunities relating to Consular posts. c) To promote and foster ideas of co-operation and mutual help amongst the members. d) To develop & maintain a good relation & co-operation between all Members. e) To enrich the activities of the office of the consuls for building the countries images. f) To publish journals, magazines and other publications about latest information related to consular relations. g) To take all steps may be necessary for promoting or any other action affecting the consuls and in general to take initiative to secure and safeguard the interests of the Consular community in all respects. h) To convene, when necessary, conferences, seminar, workshop and round table discussion at such time and at such places as may be determined. i) To do all such other things as may be conductive to the business or incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects of the Forum or any of them. j) To subscribe to, or become a member of, The Federations Internationale des Corps et Associations Consulaires (FICAC) and procure and communication with any incorporated organization such information as may be likely to forward the objects of the Association. k) To accept any request, domain, gift contribution or subscription towards promoting and maintenance of the objects of the Company and to create and provide funds and to invest and apply the same in the manner and for the purpose as the Company may deem expedient. l) To acquire any land or building or construct upon any premises any building or buildings for the purpose of the Company and to after, add to, or improve any building upon such premises. Salahuddin Kasem Khan is the founder Chairman of the corps. It has 46 Honorary Consuls General/Consuls on roll. The Corps has a Constitution and a Board of Members consisting of a President, Immediate Past President, two vice President, Secretary General, Treasure and five members. Selection to the offices of chairman, members and Secretary General are held every two years, the last selection having been held on 1st March 2014. At present the board of Members consists of the Following:-



President



Hon. Kazi Shamsul Haque

Honorary Consul General

Consulate of Kyrgyz Republic

Road # 41, House # 46, Gulshan # 2, Dhaka. Phones: 9896223, 9863058, 8859991, 8861787

Email: [email protected],





Immediate Past President



Hon. Chowdhury

Honorary Consul

Consulate of Chile

5/F, Chowdhury Centre, 23-Ka, New Eskaton Road,

Dhaka-1000

Phones: 9337042, 8351222, 8316860

Email: [email protected], [email protected],





Vice Presidents



Hon. Nasreen Fatema Awal

Honorary Consul

Consulate of Mongolia

Anchor Tower, 108 BirUttam C R Datta Road (1/1,

Sonargaon Road), Dhaka. Tel- (880-2) 58610012-18, Extension – 315

Fax- (880-2) 9662734, Email: [email protected],

[email protected],



Hon. Reshadur Rahman

Honorary Consul

Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Dhaka

Erector’s House (10th Floor), 18, Kemal Ataturk Avenue,

Banani, Dhaka. Phones: 9821426, 9821422, 9821423

Fax No: +88 02 8822244

Email: [email protected],





Secretary General



Hon. Amiruzzaman

Honorary Consul

Consulate of Republic of Seychelles

House: l09/5A, Road l5 (old), West Dhanmondi,

Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh. Tel/Fax: 88-02-9101391,. E-Mail: [email protected],





Treasurer



Hon. Mohammed Mohsin

Honorary Consul

Consulate of Republic of Korea in Gazipur

PHP House, 31, Agrabad C/A, Chittagong-4100. Tel: 031- 2511037-41, Fax: 031- 726982. Email: [email protected], [email protected],

www.phpfamily.co





Members



Hon. K. M. Mozibul Hoque

Honorary Consul General

Consulate of the Republic of Yemen in Bangladesh

Erectors House (5th Floor)

18, Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani C/A

Dhaka-1213, Bangladesh. Tel: +8802 9821447-448, Res +88028859744,

Fax: +8802 9821449

Email: [email protected], [email protected],



Hon. Miran Ali

Honorary Consul

Consulate of the Slovak Republic

822/3, Begum Rokeya Sharani, Mirpur, Dhaka. Phones: 8053418

Email: [email protected],



Hon. Syed Kader Iqbal

Honorary Consul

Consulate of Republic of Serbia

House # 27, Road # 5, Nikunja # 1, Dhaka-1229

Phones: (880-2) 8900023, 8924102, 8923880, 8962975

Email: [email protected]



Hon. Mohammed Abdul Awwal

Honorary Consul

Consulate of the Philippines in Ctg.

‘Palm View’, 101 Agrabad C/A, Chittagong-4100. Phones: Off: 031-714800

Fax: 031-710488, 031-710362, Email: [email protected], [email protected]



Hon. Kazi Khurram Ahmed

Honorary Consul

Consulate of Republic of Gambia

Unit-E2, House # 15, Road # 36,

Gulshan-2, Dhaka-1212. Tel: 02-9892203, Fax: 02-9892263, Email: [email protected],



CCB is affiliated with FICAC world Federation of Consuls. Some of the more important objectives of FICAC are as follows:-

a) To enhance the performance of consular services on behalf of sending States in receiving States. b) To support and improved the status, legitimacy and effectiveness of all consular officers, and to seek the extension of such of the well-recognized facilities, privileges and immunities to Honorary Consular Officers by the receiving States as are necessary for the efficient discharge of their functions with dignity, while taking note of the fact that honorary consular officers, in comparison with career consular officers and diplomatic agents performing consular functions, do not enjoy all facilities, privileges and immunities granted by receiving states and, in many cases, do not have the same links with the sending states which appoint them. c) To encourage the establishment of new Associations and their membership of the Federation. d) To Promote and improve contacts and friendship amongst Consuls throughout the world. e) To promote implementation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relation 1963, to encourage its ratification by non-signatory states and to seek, when appropriate, to influence any amendments to it. f) To encourage states, in both their receiving and sending capacities, recognize and support Associations, Member Associations and the Federation.