People face corruption and harassment during police verification of passports

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has said people face corruption and harassment during police verification of passports.

The anti-corruption watchdog revealed the report titled “Good governance in passport service: challenge and doable” at its office at MIDAS Centre of Dhanmondi in the capital.

The TIB study showed that some 76.2 percent people became victims of corruption and irregularities during their police verification after applying for new passports.

Of them, 75.3 percent service taker had to pay a bribe in completing police verification process.

The report further said that presence of brokers found in almost all passport offices. About 80 percent passport holders took service of brokers.

Of them, 41.7 percent got direct assistance from brokers or other people.

Non cooperation of passport offices and lack of confidence are blamed for the crisis, the report said.

It is stated that in the report that the passports are often not given on the delivery date as mentioned on the slip given from the passport office.

TIB programme manager (research and policy) Md Shahnur Rahman presented the report at the conference. In the meantime, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman and others joined the programme.