The standing committee on the home ministry wants to observe the passport and visa issuance activities at various foreign missions as they want to get a ‘clear idea’ to make the system more efficient and effective.
Following a recommendation of the committee, the home ministry is set to arrange the tour to nine countries including USA and UK.
Agencies under the home ministry have operations at the Bangladesh missions in these countries. The tour may be arranged once the coronavirus situation becomes normal and Biman resumes regular flights.
Analysts think that there is a fear of conflict of interest in the committee. The government also several times gave opinion against foreign trips of the standing committee at the expenses of the ministry.
Sources said the standing committee on the home ministry at its meeting on 27 August recommended the home ministry to arrange the foreign tour.
The committee asked the ministry to draw up the tour schedule to observe the passport and visa issuance activities at the home ministry’s sub-offices at the UN and foreign missions to get a clear idea in a bid to make these activities more ‘efficient and effective’. The recommendation was made to arrange the tour once the coronavirus situation becomes normal and international flights resume.
The ministry on 29 October updated the standing committee meeting the progress in this regard. It said the passport and visa wing had operations at 15 missions. A plan can be taken to observe the activities of passport and visa issuance at the missions once the coronavirus situation becomes normal and international flights resumes.
According to the ministry, these 15 missions are situated at nine countries. These are USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, Malaysia, Italy, Kuwait, Singapore and Qatar.
The tour schedule and who will be included has not been fixed yet. The committee has been informed that the committee members (MPs) and concerned officials will be included in the delegation.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, committee president Shamsul Haque said the foreign tour may happen if the ministry considers it s necessary. But the matter of foreign trip is at a primary stage, he added.
According to parliamentary rules of procedure, the function of the ministry-based standing committees is to review the activities of the ministry and to investigate the irregularities and complaints. The committee also examines bills or any matter sent from the parliament.
The stakeholders said this may have a negative impact on the function of the committee if the foreign trip is made or any other facilities are taken from the ministry. Besides, the government has issued letters more than once to rein in foreign trips.
The finance minister at the time, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, in a letter to the speaker in 2016 wrote, “The government’s financial discipline is being hampered due to the foreign trips with the money from the ministry.”
In 2018, the standing committee on the expatriates’ welfare and overseas welfare ministry recommended arranging a foreign trip. As a sequel to that, the prime minister’s office in a directive said the expenses of the foreign trip of the members of parliament can be met from the parliamentary secretariat.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, parliamentary affairs researcher and University of Chittagong ex-professor Nizamuddin Ahmed said the recommendation of a foreign trip by the standing committee on the home ministry is in no way justified.
If the standing committee makes tours at the expense of the ministry, it will not have moral grounds to hold the ministry accountable.
*This report has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.
