Shelve MRP, go for e-passport

A parliamentary body yesterday asked the government to cancel the machine-readable passport (MRP) project and introduce electronic passports instead to save public money.

The parliamentary standing committee on planning ministry made a set of recommendations including relocation of Kamalapur railway station to Tongi to ease gridlock in the capital.

Committee Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, also chief of Liberal Democratic Party, unveiled the recommendations before reporters at his office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban following a committee meeting.

The parliamentary body said electronic passports will be used worldwide after machine-readable passports become invalid in 2014. It is undesirable to spend several hundred crores of taka for issuing two types of passport, it said.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in March approved a Tk 3.50 billion project on machine-readable passports and visa under the home ministry.

The Department of Immigration and Passport under the ministry has already launched the project for issuing about 18.4 million MRPs by 2014.

Bangladesh has to introduce MRPs by April 2010 to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements. If it fails to become an ICAO member, Bangladeshi citizens' access to the international labour market and visas could be hindered.

The committee said the government would have to spend a big amount again for issuing electronic passports after the MRPs become invalid across the globe. All developed countries in the world have already introduced electronic passports.

“The ministries of foreign affairs and planning will write to the home ministry soon in this regard,” the committee said.

The parliamentary body asked for installation of closed-circuit cameras at airports, introduction of a uniform renewal fee for passports and their quick renewal for Bangladeshis living abroad.

It also recommended simplifying the procedure of issuing diplomatic passports for lawmakers and instructing Bangladesh missions abroad to provide protocol to lawmakers and distinguished people.

“It's regrettable that officials at foreign missions don't bother about anyone except the ministers and ruling party lawmakers,” the committee said.

Referring to traffic jam, the parliamentary body recommended that the government designate parking places in the capital, enforce traffic rules strictly and take action against violators.

“A legal provision should be introduced to fine violators of traffic rules. If anyone is found guilty of violating the rules and causing traffic congestion, the person should be fined Tk 1,000. Even the ministers and lawmakers should not be spared,” said the parliamentary body.

The committee told the home ministry to equip police stations with an adequate number of vehicles.

It also asked law enforcement agencies not to harass people during anticrime drives.

The committee observed that a section of ruling party activists work as brokers at police stations and extort money from people.

“This situation must change, otherwise it would not be possible to have a digital Bangladesh,” it said.

During a discussion on the LGRD and cooperatives ministry, the parliamentary body recommended that the government increase the allocation of funds for upazila parishads and provide vehicles and office allowances to upazila parishad chairmen.

The committee emphasised that development activities under upazila parishads and municipalities should be intensified to ensure decentralisation of power and people's welfare.