Mid-Day

By birth, Jacqueline Fernandez may be a Sri Lankan, but the actress takes her affiliations to Bahrain quite seriously. She recently helped in dialogues that will soon lead to the opening of the Lankan embassy in the Gulf country.

A source says, “Jacqueline has spent a lot of her growing up years in Bahrain, as her parents moved there. There was no Sri Lankan embassy in Bahrain but only a Consulate and she felt there was a need for someone to protect immigrants of a particular nation in another country.”

Apparently, thanks to her popularity the actress pulled a few strings and took matters into her hands. “She had many meetings with those in power and urged them to open the embassy.”

Marietta S Dias, chairperson of the Migrant Workers Protection Society in Bahrain states, “There has been an urgent requirement for a Sri Lankan embassy in The Kingdom of Bahrain and The Migrant Workers Protection Society has, through several Sri Lankan Government ministries, been calling for this facility for the past several years. The embassy is about to be opened in the Kingdom.”

The official also expresses her thanks to Jacqueline for her efforts.