People are lined up outside of Kabob House in Hamtramck\u00a0on\u00a0Saturday\u00a0with passports in hand, masks covering their faces. They are waiting to\u00a0see\u00a0Embassy of\u00a0Bangladesh officials inside the restaurant. The people are brought in \u2014 a few at a time \u2014 to get their paperwork checked at the helpdesk. Some will need assistance to fill out forms in English. Then they will be called one by one to meet with a consular officer to get their passport renewals,\u00a0visas and other travel\u00a0documents.<\/p>\n
The Embassy typically visits once a year but didn\u2019t last year due to the pandemic. But as the Bangladeshi community in Michigan grows, so does the\u00a0need\u00a0for\u00a0services.<\/p>\n
Officials are bringing these essential services to the people, says Rumman Ahmed\u00a0Sagoto, who\u00a0has been volunteering at the mobile consular services for the past several\u00a0years.<\/p>\n
He says there is a greater need this year\u00a0due to the Embassy\u2019s decision not to visit last year due to the pandemic, but with the mobile embassy, they are meeting people where they\u00a0are.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they are here, they can do it here right now, they don\u2019t have to go (to Washington, D.C., or New York)\u00a0and do it. And\u00a0also\u00a0they can do the dual citizenship if they want to do it,\u201d he\u00a0says.<\/p>\n
As of Monday night, 1,801 people have been served, according to the Embassy. With walk-ins, they expect to serve 2,200 by\u00a0Tuesday.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/IMG_1283-300x225.jpeg\")
Officials from the Embassy of Bangladesh assist people with services in Hamtramck, Mich. (Photo by Nargis Rahman)<\/p>\n
First Secretary Mohammad\u00a0Asphakul\u00a0Numan says the mobile consular services provide access to people who otherwise would not be able to easily travel out of state, or those who may need assistance with filling out the required\u00a0paperwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cBangladeshi Americans born in Bangladesh, who are now American citizens who surrendered their Bangladeshi passports, they now want to get a visa to keep relations or visit, the Bangladeshi government can give them an No Visa Required (NVR). If someone wants to stay for 10 years, there is no visa\u00a0required.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saima Khan has been helping to schedule appointments\u00a0and process the\u00a0NVRs.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I know we have 190 NVRs,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u201cWe have about 200 renewals. Three, four new passports and then I think about like five power of attorneys. So, yeah, I think it\u2019s\u00a0pretty useful\u00a0to have the mobile\u00a0consular\u00a0too because all this stuff people would have had to go to like Washington,\u00a0D.C.,\u00a0to do\u2026so coming here once a year, really\u00a0helps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohammed Haque says many area residents need help filling out forms in English\u00a0because many people don\u2019t speak English or know how to fill out the\u00a0paperwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u00a0we are helping\u00a0\u2026\u00a0them because they are our community\u00a0\u2026\u00a0so we help our people. That\u2019s why I\u2019m\u00a0here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Muhith Mahmud is president of the Michigan\u00a0Bangladeshi American Democratic Caucus. He volunteered his time over the weekend to facilitate the consular\u00a0services.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichigan is a starting point for Bangladeshis,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we stand in second, second most populated Bangladeshi populated city in Michigan beside in New York,\u201d he points out. \u201cThe community\u00a0\u2026\u00a0we are rapidly\u00a0growing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shuab Miah of Shelby Township says it\u2019s his first time coming to the mobile consular\u00a0services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my first time.\u00a0For my family I went to Washington,\u00a0D.C.\u00a0I did not have my passport ready at the\u00a0time\u00a0so I was the only one needing it.\u00a0So\u00a0it\u2019s because they\u2019re here is a great opportunity to just take care of that right\u00a0now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Services are available through Tuesday, March 2.\u00a0 For more information visit\u00a0bdembassyusa.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n