Scribd
Upload
7 views

Passport Help - Why Skip Digital For Third-Party Aid

Uploaded by

Shampa Koly (202011036)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
7 views

Passport Help - Why Skip Digital For Third-Party Aid

Uploaded by

Shampa Koly (202011036)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Passport Help: Why Skip Digital for Third-Party Aid?

To modernise its infrastructure and enhance public services, Bangladesh has made tremendous
progress in the last ten years toward digital transformation. Numerous e-government services
that aim to improve accessibility for individuals and speed administrative procedures have been
made possible by the government's pledge to create a "Digital Bangladesh"

One of the main features of this digital revolution is the use of several online platforms for basic
services like business registration, tax filings, and passport applications. A significant
development in passport applications has been the introduction of the e-passport service, which
aims to streamline the process by letting residents fill out forms, upload required paperwork, and
make appointments via an easy-to-use web page. This program is a component of a larger plan to
streamline government processes, lessen corruption, and cut down on red tapism.

Bangladesh was the first nation in South Asia to introduce e-passports in 2020; 72 offices spread
across 64 districts would be offering them. Moreover, a passport is an important document for all
citizens. The government established regional passport offices throughout most of the respective
areas so that one can easily make their passport. To get an e-passport one has to fill in the online
application form, but the experience of the passport office could be a lot happier for everyone.

Chisty (2023) stated that, recently, I walked out of, or rather escaped, a passport office in
Chattogram after failing to complete the biometric enrolment for myself and my two sons. At
that time, I was filled with rage, frustration, and shame just thinking about what the citizens of
Bangladesh have to suffer to avail such a basic but crucial service. Now this is the question of
many people who still have lots of paperwork that needs to be done physically so what’s the
point of calling it a ‘Digital Process’? Alam (2023) who suffered a lot while getting a passport.
He said that it is among the most unpleasant things that can happen to a person. To finish the
procedure, the majority of individuals must stand on the steps for six to eight hours.

Not only that, but lots of people don’t also know how to apply online as well and many of them
don't have proper internet access and computer facilities. Ahamed (2021) conducted a study on
the Agargaon passport office and found that more than 30 percent of the respondents claimed
that the existing web portal was not user-friendly. Although it's a digital application system,
applicants need to go to a specific Bank to pay the application fee, and no suitable online
payment system has been developed yet. A female applicant of 25 years old in the Agargaon
passport office faced an unavoidable hassle while she tried to pay fees online. Although the
money was deducted from this account, the payment was unsuccessful. After that, she went to
the passport office regarding this issue.

After all these procedures when it comes to police verification applicants go through another bad
experience. A survey conducted by Ahamed (2021) showed that 60.0% of applicants had to bribe
the police during verification, while 38.5% and 55.2% of applicants did not have to do so when
passports were processed with the assistance of brokers and travel/recruiting agencies
respectively. Hence, whenever anyone goes to the passport office some unknown faces come and
influence them to make the passport without any hassle with their help at a low cost (bribe). To
avoid all of this hassle many applicants are influenced by them and some willingly search for
them to make their passports. An undergraduate student of 23 years old went to the Agargaon
passport office and made his passport with the help of a third party because in her point of view
‘why should one take so much hassle if we could easily make it through them, although we need
to pay extra money but it's better than the unavoidable hassle’.

The government launched this E-passport system to make the process more convenient,
transparent, and corruption-free but we have to face unwanted hassle rather than benefits. If all
these challenges can be overcome by the newly formed Govt., then the service will be more
user-friendly. As the digital landscape evolves, bridging the gap between the availability of
online services and their effective utilization remains a critical focus, aiming for a future where
every citizen can benefit from the convenience and efficiency of a truly digital Bangladesh.

Authors:
Shampa Koly. an undergraduate student in Finance at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.
For further contact Email: [email protected]

You might also like