No more police verification for passports, says Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus

Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has announced that police verification will no longer be required for citizens applying for a passport. 

He emphasized that a passport is a right for the people, calling it an essential identity document for Bangladesh‍‍`s citizens.

Dr. Yunus shared his thoughts on this change during the opening ceremony of the Deputy Commissioners‍‍` (DC) conference at his office on Sunday. 

He stressed that a passport is a basic right and questioned why citizens should face additional hurdles like police verification to obtain one.

Speaking to the gathering, Dr. Yunus said, 

“Why should police verification be needed for getting a passport? A passport is one of my rights as a citizen. If I am a criminal, the police will treat me differently, but the birth certificate and national ID card I received were not issued with police verification. These are documents I received simply because I am a citizen of this country. A passport is just another form of identification for us, so why should police verification be needed? We’ve passed a law stating that from now on, it won’t be necessary.”

The Chief Adviser also gave a stern warning to the Deputy Commissioners, urging them not to use intimidation tactics in their duties.

He stated, “In administrative work, you cannot blame others to escape responsibility. We must make sure there’s no disruption in the administration.”

Dr. Yunus also highlighted the need for fairness in government services, pointing out, “It can’t be that you need to pay money to get a birth certificate, and if you don’t pay, you can’t get it. From now on, all services must be provided online.”

Earlier in the day, Dr. Yunus inaugurated the three-day conference for District Commissioners at 10:30 AM. As part of the event, there will be open discussions with the Deputy Commissioners today. 

In the evening, he will meet with the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association, followed by a dinner. 

The conference is scheduled to conclude on February 18th, Tuesday.

This announcement marks a significant change in the process of obtaining a passport, reflecting the government‍‍`s push for more accessible and citizen-friendly services.