That was the scene yesterday at DIP with officials anticipating that the picture will turn grimmer in future as the demand for passports is rising by five percent every month while the manpower of the department remains as it was in 1982 when the last recruitment was made.

The scene described reflects how tremendous are the hassles, sufferings and ordeals faced by the people thronging DIP everyday for submitting applications for new passports or for collecting those, and for renewing or getting attachments to the old ones.

"The heat is unbearable. I feel like collapsing," said visibly exhausted Aminul Islam who was standing there defying the midday sun. He said he had arrived there at 8:00am and already zigzagged up the queue three steps inside the compound. "In the morning he stood in about half a kilometre long queue on the road outside, which opened at 10:00am."

Failing to bear the scorching heat, a garment factory supervisor who had gone to the passport office on Sunday morning died of a heat stroke there. Police told reporters that 45-year old Lebu Mia, who had gone there to renew his passport, died of a cardiac arrest as he had waited among scrambling people in a queue for a long time in sweltering heat.

During a visit to DIP by The Daily Star, many people alleged that they had to suffer the same ordeals for a good number of days, as they couldn't get the job done in one visit. They also alleged that the officials of the passport office are to be blamed for such hassles.

The Agargaon passport office, where over two thousand people go everyday for new passports, renewals and attachments, has only 65 officials and employees despite having 71 posts.

The officials in Dhaka office who have updated information for up to March said in March they issued around 25,000 new passports and renewed or gave attachments to 46,000.

There are 313 officials and employees in 15 passport offices across the country now while there are a total of 397 posts.

The very important department last saw recruitment of officials in 1982 when the number of passports issued, renewed or given attachments to yearly was 1.7 lakh only. The demand for new passports, renewals or attachments increased 19 folds, but the number of manpower remains the same as 1982, DIP officials said.

In March a total of 1,35,217 passports were issued and 1,50,893 passports were renewed or given attachments to across the country. DIP provided the government exchequer with Tk 436 crore last year. Its expenditure was only Tk 40 crore including purchasing cost of passport books from abroad, the officials added.

However, the passport building which is usually crawling with passport brokers was found almost broker free as about 20 policemen and Ansar personnel were keeping a strict vigil. Despite the effort, at least two brokers approached this correspondent outside the premises and inside the passport office asking whether he needs their help. Although the authorities opened a service centre for giving out application forms to passport seekers, two women were found roaming with forms in their hands on the road outside the passport office entrance despite the police presence.

Director General of DIP Abdur Rob Howlader told The Daily Star that despite the shortage in manpower they are somehow managing such a huge demand for passports and other activities.

He said to lessen the sufferings of the passport seekers he introduced the queue system, evicted the brokers and strictly directed the staff not to let any broker enter the rooms of officials. Besides, two service centres were opened -- one at the gate and the other on the ground floor -- from where people can collect forms and gather passport related information.

Besides, entry and exit paths for the visitors were separated, the road in front of the office was made one-way and a number of law enforcing personnel was increased to ensure security, and installation of CCTV cameras in the offices is in the pipeline, he said adding that soon 270 Ansar personnel will be employed strengthening the current 20 member Ansar team there.

"We have also strictly asked the policemen to arrest brokers if they are found," he said.

The DG of DIP also said four new office buildings are being established spending Tk 23 crore outside the capital, and many vacant posts have already been filled up.

To reduce the sufferings Abdur Rob said he forwarded a proposal for establishing nine new offices in the country including four regional ones in Dhaka. Besides, they have proposed to employ licensed agents who will work as a go-between for the department and the clients in exchange for money. He said the proposals are under active consideration of the government.

On the nexus among brokers, and DIP officials and employees, he said steps will be taken if specific allegation regarding any officer's or employee's collusion with brokers is brought forward.

TALES OF VICTIMS
"I had to visit this office around 28 times since January 31, and the Special Branch office in Gazipur 14 times since February which cost me an extra Tk 6,000," Harun-or-Rashid of Kapashia told this correspondent at DIP yesterday. He said he applied for an urgent passport on January 31 with Tk 5,000 emergency fee. Police verification report also came in due time, but the report somehow went missing.

"At the suggestion of the officials, I again applied for a police verification report which reached the office on April 16. But again the report went missing," Harun said.

He said he finally brought the matter to the notice of the DG who directed the officials concerned to look into the matter seriously. On Sunday, passport officials discovered the two police reports in a sack full of papers.

A disappointed Harun, who was waiting for his passport in the guest room on the fifth floor of the office yesterday, said he might be lucky enough to get the passport that day, but might fail to apply for a visa for Italy, the deadline for which is May 15. "I applied for an urgent passport, but I did not get it in four months," he said asking, "Who will compensate if I cannot apply for the visa for Italy this year?" "I will have to wait for another year if I fail," he said.

Ameer Ahmed who was from Companyganj in Noakhali said he had to come twice to the passport office in Dhaka for collecting his passport with a Saudi visa on it that he had submitted for an attachment.

He said passport officials on Sunday told him that they could not find his passport. "As I told them it was urgent, the officials told me to apply again," Ameer, having passport no A 0611680, said. He also said he already spent Tk 6,000 extra for coming to the passport office four times, two of which were for only submitting the application and the passport.