Bangladeshi diplomats have launched their own labour accommodation inspections after 10 of their citizens were killed in a fire in May.

They are not only monitoring living conditions, but also campaigning for Bangladeshi workers to live here legally and obtain valid visas.

Details of the initiative were revealed by Bangladesh Embassy first secretary Muhammad Ibrahim, who is leaving Bahrain next week.

He said the embassy was encouraging employers to seek its approval for labour accommodation where Bangladeshis are housed.

"We have started a campaign in which employers or companies will have to take permission from us before providing accommodation to workers," he explained.

"We will send our volunteers to check the place and if it is worth living there, they will permit them.

"Otherwise, we will refuse and ask them to look for another place that provides facilities and is safe."

However, he added the embassy was already visiting known camps to inspect the conditions there.

"We have started visiting labour accommodations to ensure the safety and hygiene of the workers," said Mr Ibrahim.

"This is an ongoing campaign in which we want community leaders and members to co-operate with us."

He said the embassy was encouraging its citizens to live in Bahrain legally to avoid complications, but admitted the free visa problem could not be tackled overnight.

"Those who died in this fire were all free visa workers and were living illegally," he said.

"There are many people in Bahrain who buy visas and live illegally, but Bangladeshis are more prone to this - either directly from an employer or through a third party.

"The Labour Market Regulatory Authority has helped us a lot in tackling this problem and we have been working together on a campaign since 2010.

"The campaign is still going on and we have been briefing our community members and highlighting the problems facing people who buy free visas.

"It's good to know the number has gone down significantly in the last two years."

Mr Ibrahim is leaving Bahrain after completing his four-and-a-half-year posting and will hand over his responsibilities to Muhammad Mohid ul Islam.

"Leaving Bahrain fills me with a deep sense of sadness," he added.

"It has been a truly memorable and rewarding tenure of my life.

"I have been to other GCC countries before, but found Bahrain is the best country for families to live in.

"What I will miss about Bahrain is the warm and welcoming spirit of the people, the camaraderie they extend to expatriates and the support I have received from leaders and authorities."

Mr Ibrahim, who was actively involved in sending home Bangladeshis affected during last year's unrest, will take up a new post at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Dhaka for the next four years. During his tenure in Bahrain, the 43-year-old also tackled issues related to workers' rights and human trafficking. He was also part of an initiative to compensate relatives of low-income workers who die or suffer a permanent disability. He is leaving with his wife Nadia and daughters Naheed, nine, and Sara, five.