Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has approved Bangladeshi driver's licenses for use in the Maldives.
The transport ministry began approving driver's licenses from foreign countries for use in the Maldives following an amendment to the Land Transport Act. The ministry stated that driver's licenses from approved foreign countries can be used in the Maldives for a period of 90 days without the need for a further permit.
The list of recognised foreign driver's licenses was first published on August 3 and consisted of 25 countries, which included European and Asian nations. The ministry was initially criticised for not approving Bangladeshi driver's licenses for use in the Maldives, as the country has a large number of expatriates from Bangladesh.
Maldives Bureau of Statistics shows there are currently 177,000 foreign workers in the country, out of which 112,000 or 63% are Bangladeshi nationals.
The list of recognised foreign driver's licenses now includes Bangladesh as well as other neighbouring countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. The list also includes the US, the UK, Germany, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.