Passport-seekers facing problems in Khulna office
Friday, 2 November 2007
KHULNA, Nov 1 (UNB): The passport-seekers have been facing various problems in getting passports at Khulna Regional Passport Office located outside the main city.
Sources said the passport office started activities with 16 officials and employees on October 1, 1962 after taking a small house on rent in the city's Sonadanga residential area.
The passport-seekers said they were often being subjected to harassment in various ways, as the office is located three kilometres away from the main city. Snatchers often loot money and valuables from them on their way to the office, they alleged.
Although the office opened separate booths to supply and collect forms and to provide passports. The passport-seekers alleged that officials and employees with ulterior motive take much time to issue passports to them.
They said five posts of deputy assistant directors have been lying vacant in the office since long hampering the activities of the office badly.
The sufferers said they have to come to the main city to deposit money in the bank and to photocopy necessary documents and photographs for passports facing various troubles.
Once the people of all the districts of Khulna division were allowed to apply for passports at the office, but now only the people of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts are entitled to get the facility.
A passport-seeker said: "We are not provided passports in due time despite submitting necessary documents due to mysterious reasons" adding, "sometimes, we have to give bribe to get the passports."
Sources said the office issues 250-300 passports a day. It had earned revenue of over Tk 30 million in last three months until October, which was double than that of the corresponding period of the last year.
When contacted, Assistant Director of Khulna regional passport office Mohammad Kamal Hossain said they have been also facing problems in completing issuing formalities due to shortage of manpower.
Sources said the passport office started activities with 16 officials and employees on October 1, 1962 after taking a small house on rent in the city's Sonadanga residential area.
The passport-seekers said they were often being subjected to harassment in various ways, as the office is located three kilometres away from the main city. Snatchers often loot money and valuables from them on their way to the office, they alleged.
Although the office opened separate booths to supply and collect forms and to provide passports. The passport-seekers alleged that officials and employees with ulterior motive take much time to issue passports to them.
They said five posts of deputy assistant directors have been lying vacant in the office since long hampering the activities of the office badly.
The sufferers said they have to come to the main city to deposit money in the bank and to photocopy necessary documents and photographs for passports facing various troubles.
Once the people of all the districts of Khulna division were allowed to apply for passports at the office, but now only the people of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts are entitled to get the facility.
A passport-seeker said: "We are not provided passports in due time despite submitting necessary documents due to mysterious reasons" adding, "sometimes, we have to give bribe to get the passports."
Sources said the office issues 250-300 passports a day. It had earned revenue of over Tk 30 million in last three months until October, which was double than that of the corresponding period of the last year.
When contacted, Assistant Director of Khulna regional passport office Mohammad Kamal Hossain said they have been also facing problems in completing issuing formalities due to shortage of manpower.