Hasina launches Machine Readable Passport

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday launched the much-desired Machine Readable Passport (MRP) and Machine Readable Visa (MRV) taking the country a step forward towards Digital Bangladesh.
“From today we have entered into the digital era and the country’s passport and visa system has been raised to international standard with the introduction of MRP and MRV,” she said while inaugurating the MRP and MRV at the Osmani Memorial Hall here.
In the function, Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun handed over Machine Readable Passport to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid repeated clapping. Later, the Prime Minister handed over the MRP to the country’s 14 eminent They included- Deputy Leader in Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Planning Minister Air- Vice Marshal (Rtd) AK Khandaker, Bir Uttam, Chief of Army Staff General Md. Abdul Mubeen, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Director General of Rapid Action Battalion Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, FBCCI President Annisul Huq, Editor of the Samakal Golam Sarwar, BSS Chief Editor Ihsanul Karim and Jatiya Mohila Sangstha Chairman Prof Momtaz Begum.
IRIS, a Malaysian company with the help of Bangladesh Army prepared the MRP within eight months which is equipped with 38 security measurers to prevent passport tempering.
The Prime Minister said her present government after assuming office has approved a project titled “Introduction of Machine Readable Passport and Machine Readable Visa in Bangladesh” involving an expenditure of Taka 526 crore which is progressing fast.
She said the introduction of MRP and MRV would put an end to tempering passport and visa as well as harassment to the innocent people. “After launching the MRP and MRV, no one would be able to possess more than one passport and go abroad hiding identity,”, she added.
Sheikh Hasina said it would play an important role in checking drug peddlers, arms smugglers and militancy.
She said regional passport office would be set up at every district to reach the machine Readable Passport and Visa service to the doorsteps of the people.
In this context, she said expatriate Bangladeshis would be given MRP through special arrangements by the respective Bangladesh’s missions abroad.
The Prime Minister said the duty of the government is to ensure services to the people and her government wants to create a culture of reaching its services to the common people by government employees.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun, State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Huq Tuku, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Director General of Passport and Immigration Abdul Mabud, MRP/MRV Project Director Brig Gen Rafeyet Ullah and chairman of Iris Corporation, Malaysia Tan Sri Razali Ismail also spoke on the occasion.

Courtesy of BSS via The New Nation