Renew expat passports in 60 days: HC

The High Court (HC) on Sunday directed the authorities concerned to process all pending applications for new passports and passport renewals submitted by expatriate Bangladeshis within 60 days.

The HC bench comprising Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Syed Mohammed Tazrul Hossain came up with the order after hearing on writ petition filed by the human rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The HC also issued a rule asking why the authorities' failure to dispose of expatriates' passport applications promptly should not be declared illegal and why directions should not be issued to ensure the speedy processing of such applications. The respondents have been asked to reply within four weeks.

The respondents include 14 officials, including the cabinet secretary, the principal secretary to the prime minister, the secretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and Law, as well as the director general of the Department of Immigration and Passports.

The writ petition was filed on behalf of HRPB by Advocates Mohammad Sarwar Ahad Chowdhury, Ripon Barai and Mahbubul Islam, as public interest litigation following media reports alleging that expatriates had been waiting for long periods to receive new or renewed passports.

Advocate Manzil Murshid, president for HRPB, told reporters that the High Court directed the passport authorities to process all pending applications within 60 days and submit a progress report within 90 days.

The HC also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue instructions within 21 days to Bangladesh's high commissions and embassies to promptly forward expatriates' applications for new passports and renewals to the Department of Immigration and Passports for processing.

A progress report on compliance must be submitted to the court within 30 days, he added.