No police verification for passport issuance, renewal
Staff Correspondent
The government plans to discontinue police verification for passport issuance and renewal to curb corruption and prevent public harassment.
Under the provision, local police verify applicants’ identities and addresses in issuing or renewing passports and reportedly realise money in the name of office costs and the applicants are also often harassed unless they pay the money.
Considering the people’s harassment and their financial loss, the government is going to repeal the system, said a source of the home ministry wishing not to be named.
Earlier in the day, the home ministry held a meeting with Nasimul Gani, senior secretary of the ministry in the chair to discuss the matter.
Before this meeting, the advisory council of the interim government discussed the issue and designated the national identity card and birth registration certificate as the primary documents for passport issuance or renewal.
If these two documents are correct then there should be no obstacle in issuing or renewing passports, according to the decision of the meeting.
Later putting heeds to the matter, the security service department of the Ministry of Home Affairs started working on it to repeal the police verification system.
A draft decision was taken in today's meeting and the issue will be finalised in the next meeting, to be held soon, the source said, adding that the majority of the participants of the meeting supported cancellation of the police verification system.
