It is obvious that we are still following an outdated system where the role of the dealing clerks and officials is still very dominant. We cannot afford to ignore the fact that passport is no longer a national or domestic issue. It is an international issue and the credibility that Bangladeshi passport enjoys is a crucially important factor when it comes to people traveling to different countries.
Yet attempts to modernise the system are not being made with a due sense of urgency. E-governance with a fully computerised and automatic system of issuance of passports is needed to overcome the problem of corruption at almost every step. The authorities should contemplate introduction of the computerised system of issuing passports to keep pace with other countries that we are interacting with.
Passport has a great bearing on international security and can be associated with many negative and fraudulent activities. The point has become all the more relevant with the rise in militancy and crimes of various sorts. Obviously, crimes like human and drug trafficking can be dealt with more effectively when we have a foolproof passport issuance system. The global security undertaking is something where Bangladesh has a role to play. So it has to be ensured that our passport is treated as an instantly credible document by immigration officials all over the world.
The corruption that plagues the passport offices does indicate that some corrupt officials and employees of the government have turned issuance of passport into a profitable business. Obviously, that increases the chances of criminals and anti-social-elements exerting influence on the system, thus destroying its credibility. The government has to take corrective steps before things degenerate further.
Quelle/Source: The Daily Star, 16.10.2006
