An internal probe body has detected at least 170 official passports that the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) in Agargaon issued after accepting fake no-objection certificates.
It estimates that the number of such passports would be nearly 2,000 and they are in the wrong hands.
The three-member committee headed by DIP Director Shihab Uddin Khan found brokers, travel agents and human traffickers in league with a section of passport officials were involved in the scam.
The investigation into what appears to be the biggest passport scam in the country’s history revealed how brokers had easy access to the passport office and influence on some officials and employees.
Although presence of applicants is mandatory, it was the brokers who submitted the applications and the officials and employees accepted those without any question.
They prepared fake no-objection certificates (NOC) using names, signatures and seals of some officials of different government offices in Agargaon, other parts of the city and in Faridpur.
About half the NOCs were issued used the name Dr Uttam Kumer Barua of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital without his knowledge. In those NOCs, applicants were shown as employees of the hospital, says the report of the committee.
For other NOCs, the syndicate used the names of officers of Tax Commissioner’s Office-5, Department of Housing and Public Works, Ministry of Shipping, Public Services Commission, Directorate of Custom Intelligence and Investigation, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Divisional Forest Officer in Faridpur.
The probe body contacted the officers and all said that the persons who got the official passports using the NOCs do not work in the offices.
Using those NOCs, official passports were issued mostly for cleaners, peons, office assistants, ward boys, computer operators, students, cattle traders, shopkeepers and scrap material traders. Contacted by the probe committee, they said they got the passports through brokers in payment of a large amount of cash.
The probe body took statements of the officials and employees involved in the entire process — from accepting applications to issuing passport. They said a government official or employee can get an official passport just by submitting an NOC with the application.
No police verification is required for them but officials and employees can, when in doubt, question the applicants to verify the NOCs.
“Brokers take the advantage of this flexibility,” said a director of DIP, adding it could be prevented if officials concerned quiz those who submitted the applications.
Indicating an unusual rise in official passport issuance in February and March this year, the committee members and some DIP officials said the massive forgery was possible due to a serious mismanagement and dominance of brokers in the Agargaon passport office. Nearly 2,000 additional official passports were issued in the months.
“Brokers submitted the applications in the absence of applicants, said record keeper Suman Roy, assistant directors Umme Kulsum and SM Shahjahan in their statements,” reads the report.
“The forgery could have been unearthed if the applicants were present during submission of applications and interrogated.”
The probe body identified eight persons who were involved in the process of issuing the fake passports.
Issuing of official passports through illegal means has contributed to human trafficking, the report added.
Formed in July 7, the committee submitted its report to Director General of DIP Zeaul Alam director general in August but no step was taken in this regard so far, according to DIP officials.
The Daily Star obtained a copy of the report.
Although the forgery has been going for more than a year, it could not be detected by any local agencies or departments, said a probe committee member.
It was the Turkish government who informed the foreign ministry about the matter in April after detaining three Bangladeshi nationals who were carrying the forged official passports, added the official.
In May, four officials DIP director Munshi Mueed Ikram, assistant director SM Shahjahan, and senior assistants Shahjahan Miah and office assistant M Saiful Islam were suspended regarding the official passport forgery.
Some of the person who gave statements to the probe body alleged Mueed Ikram verbally cancelled the system of asking question to the applicants about the NOC, says the report.
The DG of DIP could not be reached as he is currently abroad.
Contacted last night, Senior Home Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan said the ministry has taken the issue of official passport forgery seriously.
“We won’t make any compromise. Stern action will be taken against those who are involved.”
Asked if the number of forged official passports would be over 2,000, he said he didn’t know exactly but surely it’s big.
Source: The Daily Star
