The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman, Iqbal Mahmood, on Tuesday said passport seekers should not suffer because police verification.
“People often suffer when they seek passports from the Department of Immigration and Passports in the name of police verification as police do not give clearance to them without money,” he said while addressing a public hearing in the capital, reports news agency UNB.
Calling upon the home ministry to take the issue into account, the ACC chief said all passport seekers are not criminals or accused in cases.
“There should be a list of criminals at the Passport Department so that innocent passport seekers don’t suffer,” said the ACC chief.
The national anti-corruption agency held the public hearing on the services provided by the Department of Immigration and Passports at LGED auditorium.
Mahmood said the passport offices of the department must be free from brokers for the smooth delivery of passports and the brokers should be brought to justice.
Criticising government officials, he said after getting public jobs they just open a shop of making money as they think that they will get salary for their jobs while collect bribes for works.
“But, gone are the days of this colonial mentality. People here have changed. They are now aware of their rights,” he said.
Around 20 people who endured sufferings or were forced to give bribes for availing of services from the head office of the Department of Immigration and Passports, its Uttara office and Jatrabari office placed their complaints during the hearing.
Director general of the passports department brigadier general Md Masud Rezwan said all the allegations raised during the hearing will be resolved following the legal procedures.
ACC commissioners Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed and AFM Aminul Islam and additional secretary of Home Ministry Mahibul Haque, among others, spoke at the public hearing.
The ACC has already held a number of public hearings on the services of government agencies. The public hearing is being arranged as part of the commission’s graft prevention activities being carried out following the Anti Corruption Commission Act 2004 and the National Integrity Strategy.
Source: Prothom Alo