‘Expats to get machine-readable passports within 3-4 weeks’

Expatriate Bangladeshis will begin receiving Machine-Readable Passports (MRPs) from December 15. Those who have already applied will receive their passports within three to four weeks.

Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Expatriate Welfare, and Overseas Employment, shared this information in a video message on his verified Facebook account on Wednesday.

The adviser mentioned that a meeting was held on Tuesday with all relevant officials. Present at the meeting were the advisers for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as officials from the Passport Directorate and other concerned parties. The decision was made that expatriates would begin receiving MRPs starting December 15.

He added that those who have applied will receive their passports within three to four weeks after December 15. Initially, expatriates from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia will receive their passports, followed by other countries with higher demand on a priority basis. All issues will be resolved within three to four weeks.

He also noted that a large number of passports have already been printed. The measures taken by the government will ensure that there will be no passport-related issues in the next two to three years.

The adviser explained that passport complications arose during the tenure of the previous government. At that time, the then-minister attempted to assign the passport printing job to a familiar company in violation of regulations, causing a delay of about a year and a half. However, this decision was canceled, and although some delays occurred in resolving the issue, the process will start smoothly from December 15.