Government is focused on taking immigration and passport services to people's doorstep: HPM Sheikh Hasina

In view of this, she said, the government is working to make the country's immigration and passport procedure completely modern through introducing safe travel documents including electronic passport.

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating "Passport Seba Saptaha-2016" and newly constructed buildings of 10 divisional and regional passport and visa offices at a function at Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) office at Agargaon here on Sunday.

"Over the last seven years the department of immigration and passport has achieved tremendous success towards making the sector completely digital. Fraudulence practice in issuance of passport would come to end after introduction of electronic passport," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said passport as a symbol of an independent state, which also carries the dignity of a nation. It's the right of every citizen to have a passport without any hazard. "The department of immigration and passport has to work sincerely for this," she said.

The Prime Minister said her government since taking office has been making constant efforts to reach the passport services to the doorstep of the people. In view of this, she said, every district would have a passport office.

Newly inaugurated divisional and regional passport offices would help people to get better services from their doorstep, she hoped.

The newly inaugurated passport offices are- Dhaka Divisional Passport and Visa office and regional passport offices at Kishoregonj, Manikgonj, Brahmanbaria, Patuakhali, Feni, Munshigonj, Kustia, Pabna and Dinajpur.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, MP, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Mozammel Haq Khan and Director General of DIP Brigadier General Md Masud Rezwan also spoke on the occasion.

The Passport Seba Saptaha will be observed till April 28 with the slogan "passport nagorik odhikar: niswartha sebai ongikar".

Pointing out the steps taken by her government for development of the immigration and passport sector the Prime Minister said her government after taking office in 1996 has taken plan to expand passport services in those districts from where people go to abroad in a large number.

She said, so far a total of 1.40 crore machine readable passport and 3.26 lakh machine readable visas were issued by the DIP which is an epoch making step. "Many quarters raised their suspicion about its possibility. But it could be happen because of relentless efforts of the officials and employees of the DIP," she said.

She lamented that media had published many frustrating stories on the issue. But after successful issuance of huge number of passports, the media don't run any success story, she said.

Recalling the development of media during the tenure of her government, the Prime Minister hoped that the media would give importance to success stories side by side with criticizing the government.

The Prime Minister said during the tenure of her government passport offices were opened in every districts in addition to setting up of 33 immigration check posts and opening of 65 passport and visa wing abroad.

Workforce of the department has been increased to 1,184 from 397, she said adding steps are being taken to give training to enhance their capacity to international level.

Sheikh Hasina urged the officials and employees of the department to discharge their duties honestly and sincerely suiting to the slogan of the Passport Seba Pakkha to facilitate citizens getting better services.