Move to empower 17 DCs to issue, renew passports

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The Ministry of Home Affairs has okayed a proposal to empower deputy commissioners (DCs) of 17 districts with the authority to issue and renew passports, the ministry's secretary said Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.
Secretary Abdul Karim said the move was meant to end pervasive harassment of citizens in the hands of the officials and the so-called middlemen in getting passports while forgery is also rampant.
After a meeting at the ministry, Karim told reporters that a pilot project might begin late this month in Savar before a final decision comes into effect.
Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Chandpur, Feni, Narshingdi, Dinajpur, Bogra, Pabna, Tangail, Kushtia, Patuakhali, Cox's Bazar, Brahmanbaria and Moulvibazar districts will come under the new arrangement, Karim said.
The decision came as the meeting chaired by Karim finalized the 'Passport Licencing Rules, 2007'.
A ministerial committee has also been formed, assigning it to scrutinise the technical aspects of the rules, he said. The committee gets a week to submit its report.
The secretary said currently 57 Bangladesh embassies and 15 regional passport offices across the country renew and issue about 0.1 million (1 lakh) passports a day.
He admitted that the passport seekers face tremendous harassment from the officials and the "middlemen" in the regional offices.
Karim expressed the hope that the hassle would now ease with the new decision.
According to the rules, the designated deputy commissioners will eventually authorise one magistrate in each district to renew and issue the passports.
The government has also decided to assign financial institutions such as banks in the designated districts to receive fees for passports.