Gulam Rabbani :
Passport seekers are being harassed in various ways, especially at the time of verification, it was alleged.
Generally, police in plainclothes are supposed to visit the houses of passport seekers for physical verification of the residential
details. But in reality, the scene is just the opposite. There are allegations that the applicants are asked to visit police stations a number of times. After many visits to the police station, they may not get to meet the concerned officers.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Immigration and Passport Department Brigadier General Md Masud Rezwan in a recent public hearing said that they are contemplating to drop the attesting and police verification system to get a passport. He also admitted that the people are being harassed in many ways at the time of verification.
A recent Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report has claimed that the passport sector is the most corrupt sector in the country. About 77.7 per cent households felt victim to corruption while securing services from passport offices.
Besides, the corruption rate is 74.6 per cent in law enforcement agencies and 60.8 per cent in educational sector, the report mentioned.
Nazneen Nahar Ferdousi, a passport seeker of Ashulia area, told this reporter that she along with her guardian had to face harassment at the time of verification. The concern police officer of Ashulia Police Station didn’t go to her house for verification. The officer called her to the police station.
Nasreen also said though she is a permanent resident of that area and they have all required documents, the officer demanded Tk 1000 in the name of ‘khoros’. Their harassment tripled when their two children’s verification was under the duty of two other officers. They had to pay them separately for the verification.
Abul Kalam of the same area also narrated the similar experience. He said that the concern police officer didn’t go to his house to verify. Rather, the officer tried to find a fault unnecessarily so that he could claim more money. He had to pay Tk 1100 to the concern officer.
They said this is the common scenario of passport verification. This is why many people have been urging the authorities concerned to give up this system immediately.
In the meantime, Sadiqul Islam, an ASI of Special Branch of Police, faced a tough situation after seeking bribe at the time of verification of a passport. He demanded this money from a wife of a Justice of Supreme Court. Then a High Court bench summoned him and directed to the authority to file a departmental case against him (Sadiqul). After this order, the Supreme Court administration filed a case against him and handed him over to Shahbagh Police Station.
However, a passport seeker said that this was a rare case. General people cannot take such action after facing alike situation.
A police officer said it is not always possible to visit houses of applicants because of shortage of staff. ‘At times we find the houses of applicants locked. Many times the applicants also request us not to send police vehicles fearing their neighbours might take it otherwise,’ said the police officer.
Passport authorities have admitted that they have been receiving complaints about malpractice of police during verification. The officials said they are thinking to withdraw the verification system.
“We want to serve every citizen without any harassment. But the decision should be taken by the government,” A T M Abu Asad, Director of Dhaka Divisional Passport and Visa office, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said police personnel should visit the houses of applicants instead of asking them to turn up at police stations so that they can make a proper field verification of the applicants.
Passport seekers are being harassed in various ways, especially at the time of verification, it was alleged.
Generally, police in plainclothes are supposed to visit the houses of passport seekers for physical verification of the residential
details. But in reality, the scene is just the opposite. There are allegations that the applicants are asked to visit police stations a number of times. After many visits to the police station, they may not get to meet the concerned officers.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Immigration and Passport Department Brigadier General Md Masud Rezwan in a recent public hearing said that they are contemplating to drop the attesting and police verification system to get a passport. He also admitted that the people are being harassed in many ways at the time of verification.
A recent Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report has claimed that the passport sector is the most corrupt sector in the country. About 77.7 per cent households felt victim to corruption while securing services from passport offices.
Besides, the corruption rate is 74.6 per cent in law enforcement agencies and 60.8 per cent in educational sector, the report mentioned.
Nazneen Nahar Ferdousi, a passport seeker of Ashulia area, told this reporter that she along with her guardian had to face harassment at the time of verification. The concern police officer of Ashulia Police Station didn’t go to her house for verification. The officer called her to the police station.
Nasreen also said though she is a permanent resident of that area and they have all required documents, the officer demanded Tk 1000 in the name of ‘khoros’. Their harassment tripled when their two children’s verification was under the duty of two other officers. They had to pay them separately for the verification.
Abul Kalam of the same area also narrated the similar experience. He said that the concern police officer didn’t go to his house to verify. Rather, the officer tried to find a fault unnecessarily so that he could claim more money. He had to pay Tk 1100 to the concern officer.
They said this is the common scenario of passport verification. This is why many people have been urging the authorities concerned to give up this system immediately.
In the meantime, Sadiqul Islam, an ASI of Special Branch of Police, faced a tough situation after seeking bribe at the time of verification of a passport. He demanded this money from a wife of a Justice of Supreme Court. Then a High Court bench summoned him and directed to the authority to file a departmental case against him (Sadiqul). After this order, the Supreme Court administration filed a case against him and handed him over to Shahbagh Police Station.
However, a passport seeker said that this was a rare case. General people cannot take such action after facing alike situation.
A police officer said it is not always possible to visit houses of applicants because of shortage of staff. ‘At times we find the houses of applicants locked. Many times the applicants also request us not to send police vehicles fearing their neighbours might take it otherwise,’ said the police officer.
Passport authorities have admitted that they have been receiving complaints about malpractice of police during verification. The officials said they are thinking to withdraw the verification system.
“We want to serve every citizen without any harassment. But the decision should be taken by the government,” A T M Abu Asad, Director of Dhaka Divisional Passport and Visa office, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said police personnel should visit the houses of applicants instead of asking them to turn up at police stations so that they can make a proper field verification of the applicants.
