Long procedure, lack of booths delay processing of MRPs
Saturday, 15 May 2010
FE Report
Bangladesh has started issuing machine-readable passports to its citizens to comply with international standard, but long procedure and lack of adequate number of booths still cause sufferings to the people.
Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) at the capital's Agargaon Thursday delivered five machine-readable passports (MRPs), first time in the country. It has now 500 such passports ready for delivery.
The more secure MRPs replace the hand-written travel documents.
"We used to receive and complete initial processing of 2,000 applications in three hours a day. Now, we are struggling to handle even 500 applications a day despite extending working hours as the new system requires a lot of processing time," said a senior DIP official.
"After receiving an application form, the data mentioned in the forms are processed, papers are scanned, and photograph and fingerprints of the applicants are taken. "It takes a significant amount of time," the official told the FE.
Ahmed Jamil, a private banker who wants a passport to visit the United Kingdom, said the shift to internationally accepted practice is a good achievement for the country, but the authorities need to look at sufferings of the people.
"I had to wait for three hours in queue under the scorching sun before I moved into a small room, where a quite good number of fellow applicants were waiting in line for enrolment," he said.
Mr Jamil said the authorities should set up more booths to cope with the rush of applicants. They even need to set up more offices in Dhaka.
The regional passport office in Dhaka is particularly struggling to keep pace with the rising demand as the MRPs are produced only at Agargaon although applications are accepted in 10 offices across the country, officials said.
Officials also blame inadequate number of booths for delay in the process of application forms and other procedures as the passport office is currently running with less than a dozen booths.
"We need to set up more booths. But we don't have enough space in the present compound," said a senior DIP official adding that about 26 new booths would be set up soon to ease the pressure of the applicants.
Officials said the MRPs will be introduced gradually in other regional and overseas offices to expand the service coverage.
Data Edge Ltd, a Bangladeshi company, is introducing the MRPs in joint venture with Malaysia-based IRIS Berhad. IRIS will work in Bangladesh for three years to implement the Tk 5.26 billion project to introduce MRP as well as machine readable visas (MRV).
As per the conditions, IRIS will produce 2.2 million passports each year.
Bangladesh has started issuing machine-readable passports to its citizens to comply with international standard, but long procedure and lack of adequate number of booths still cause sufferings to the people.
Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) at the capital's Agargaon Thursday delivered five machine-readable passports (MRPs), first time in the country. It has now 500 such passports ready for delivery.
The more secure MRPs replace the hand-written travel documents.
"We used to receive and complete initial processing of 2,000 applications in three hours a day. Now, we are struggling to handle even 500 applications a day despite extending working hours as the new system requires a lot of processing time," said a senior DIP official.
"After receiving an application form, the data mentioned in the forms are processed, papers are scanned, and photograph and fingerprints of the applicants are taken. "It takes a significant amount of time," the official told the FE.
Ahmed Jamil, a private banker who wants a passport to visit the United Kingdom, said the shift to internationally accepted practice is a good achievement for the country, but the authorities need to look at sufferings of the people.
"I had to wait for three hours in queue under the scorching sun before I moved into a small room, where a quite good number of fellow applicants were waiting in line for enrolment," he said.
Mr Jamil said the authorities should set up more booths to cope with the rush of applicants. They even need to set up more offices in Dhaka.
The regional passport office in Dhaka is particularly struggling to keep pace with the rising demand as the MRPs are produced only at Agargaon although applications are accepted in 10 offices across the country, officials said.
Officials also blame inadequate number of booths for delay in the process of application forms and other procedures as the passport office is currently running with less than a dozen booths.
"We need to set up more booths. But we don't have enough space in the present compound," said a senior DIP official adding that about 26 new booths would be set up soon to ease the pressure of the applicants.
Officials said the MRPs will be introduced gradually in other regional and overseas offices to expand the service coverage.
Data Edge Ltd, a Bangladeshi company, is introducing the MRPs in joint venture with Malaysia-based IRIS Berhad. IRIS will work in Bangladesh for three years to implement the Tk 5.26 billion project to introduce MRP as well as machine readable visas (MRV).
As per the conditions, IRIS will produce 2.2 million passports each year.