Bangladesh News

Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday said the distribution of machine- readable passports (MRP) will begin from April next year.

Once the MRP is introduced, the Bangladeshi passports will be more credible abroad, reducing the harassment of Bangladeshi expatriates, she said.

“The BNP-Jamaat alliance government had shelved the project for five years, but we, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, have undertaken the project to make machine readable passports and machine-readable visas (MRV) as major steps towards building Digital Bangladesh.”

Sahara said this while visiting the city’s Agargaon Passport Office.

Steps have been taken to computerise the country’s all passport offices in phases as part of modernising the passport department.

“Besides, initiatives have been taken to erect building for each zonal passport office to ensure easier availability of passports to the common people,” she said.

Sahara said the use of Bangladeshi passports by unwanted and unexpected persons as well as their movements should be controlled effectively as it is a challenge to state security.

She urged the authorities concerned to remain alert so that the Rohingyas or members of militant outfits cannot carry out any militant activities using Bangladeshi passports and visas.

The MRP and MRV would be introduced in all missions at home and abroad.

The home minister also hoped that the passport officials would be able to play an important role in increasing the revenue through properly implementing the MRP and MRV in 19 passport offices, all immigration check posts and Bangladesh missions abroad through creating necessary posts.

Director General of the Department of Immigration and Passport Md Abdul Mabud and Director of MRP and MRV Projects Brig Gen Refaet Ullah also addressed the function