Bangladesh missions abroad have so far issued 21,15,901 machine readable passports (MRPs), while Malaysian outsourcing firm IRIS issued 1,97,222 MRPs, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said on Thursday.
Replying to a question from treasury bench member Md Israfil Alam in the House, the foreign minister said the government took a five-year project in 2010 to provide MRPs to Bangladeshi citizens.
He said the MRP distribution programme was launched from that year by the Bangladesh missions abroad and the Malaysian outsourcing company to give MRPs to 35 lakh expatriate Bangladeshis.
“Under the scheme, the missions issued 21,15,901 MRPs till November 9, 2015 and the Malaysian firm issued 1,97,222 MRPs during the period,” he said.
Besides, Ali said, 54,540 enrolled MRPs have been waiting for printing by the Department of Immigration and Passport. To achieve the target, 11,32,337 more MRPs will have to be issued, he added.
In this connection, the foreign minister mentioned that his ministry with its own funding has undertaken two projects to provide additional machinery and manpower to Bangladesh missions abroad to achieve the target within the stipulated time set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
