Long wait for passport in pandemic

Thousands of people are now waiting for getting their passports as issuance of the travel document remained halted during repeated countrywide lockdowns enforced to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Already, there has been a massive backlog of passport applications that piled up since before the spread of the pandemic and appointments at passport offices across the country remain elusive.

A number of applicants said that their passport was not issued even six months after submitting the application although the authorities had promised to issue it in three weeks.

A spot visit to the passport office at Agargaon in Dhaka on Thursday found more than 20 people returning empty handed despite receiving confirmation text from the passport office that they can come and receive it.

Abdus Salam, 35, an aspiring migrant from Shariatpur, came to the office upon receiving a text from its system asking him to collect his passport.

“Despite showing them the text, Ansar personnel deployed at the office did allow me to enter the office,” said Salam showing the text on his mobile phone.

Md Faruque, 60, a resident of Mirpur in the capital, was also one of those who stood in the queue at the office to collect passport but had to return back.

“I applied for a passport through express service as I require better treatment abroad but I did not get it in three months and they asked me to come to the office four times,” said ailing Faruque.

Md Saidur Rahman, director of the Department of Immigration and Passports, told The Business Post that the department used to issue on an average 1,400 passports a day.

The Covid-induced restrictions have lowered the number to 20 to 30 a day and those are issued for the people who have health emergencies or have special public service purposes, he said.

Saidur said that a number of officials at the passport office were infected with the Covid-19.

“For the safety of people and the office staff, we had to reduce the activities amid the lockdown,” he said.

Saidur said that their operation would in full swing when the government would withdraw the lockdown.

Aklima Khatun, a resident of Mirpur-12, went to collect her passport at the office. She said that she received a text from the office asking her to collect her passport but at the office gate she found a notice on limited services.

“If they informed me of the ‘limited service’ through another text, I would not have travelled such a long way when there is no traffic on the road,” an angry Aklima said.

She also said that middlemen officered her to collect her passport if she pays them an additional Tk 4,000.

“Without any notice, the passport authority cannot suspend their services and allow middlemen in the office,” she said. Several visits to the passport office by The Business Post correspondent during lockdown found at least 20 middlemen active on and around the office looking to dupe service-seekers.

The middlemen seemed to have a good understanding with the on-duty Ansar members, who were allowing them to enter the office.

Rasel Rana, one of the middlemen, said that they had a strong connection with senior officials and other staff members at the office.

“If you need any support, pay me. I will make everything possible,” he said.

The authority hanged several banners with photographs of a number of middlemen and asked the people to be aware of them.

Arifur Rahman Jewel, another service-seeker who came from Mohammadpur, said that the authority was not sincere about the middlemen rather some officials patron them for illegal benefit.