Distribution of ePassports

Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said, ‘The distribution of ePassports has already begun in a limited scale while its distribution among mass people will begin in July next year.

“ePassport distribution begins. Government officials are getting it now. Common people will get it from July,” he added.

Earlier on December 5, the Foreign Minister informed that the distribution of ePassports would start within December 15.An ePassport is a biometric passport which includes a chip, which can be used at the automated ePassport gates instead of having passport.

The chip holds the same information that is printed on the passport’s data page: the holder’s name, date of birth, and other biographic information.In some countries, including Germany, ePassports include two fingerprints as well.

The Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) was supposed to begin distribution of digital passports, also known as ePassports, from July last to ease immigration.

Bangladesh and Germany signed an agreement on July 19 last year following Dhaka’s decision to issue electronic passports alongside the machine readable ones.

Implementation of the project – Introduction of ePassport and Automated Border Control Management in Bangladesh – started in July 2018.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister on Tuesday unveiled a mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at MC College in Sylhet.

While unveiling the mural, Dr Momen said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working to materialise the dream of Bangabandhu to build Sonar Bangla.

He said all would have to work together to turn Bangladesh into a developed nation by 2041.The Foreign Minister paid tributes to Bangabandhu by placing flowers on the mural.

News Room,Dec 26,2019