Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has announced police verification will no longer be required for obtaining a passport, calling it an unnecessary hurdle and a violation of citizens’ rights. “Why should police verification be necessary for a passport?
This is a basic right. We have enacted a law—police verification will no longer be required. This message must reach the villages. People are unnecessarily harassed over such matters. If the government is synonymous with harassment, that must change,” Yunus said.
He made these remarks while inaugurating the three-day DC Conference at the Chief Adviser’s Office in the capital’s Tejgaon on Sunday.
Addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies, Yunus criticized the complex process of obtaining essential documents, particularly birth certificates and National IDs. “If someone needs a passport later in life, they are required to provide a birth certificate. But in the past, who registered births? No one knows. Yet, if money is offered, a birth certificate magically appears. If it can be issued for a fee, why not without one? The government cannot excuse its failure to provide such a basic service,” he stated.
Yunus emphasized that while overnight change is not expected, steps must be taken to simplify documentation procedures to ensure citizens can access essential services without unnecessary obstacles.