DEEPAK ACHARJEE, Dhaka: Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) has emerged from its seven-month-long hibernation to prepare a big project of Tk 250 crore to introduce e-visa when the Security Service Division of Home Ministry called the immigration authorities, the sources in the home ministry and the DIP said. The DIP is readying a draft of a Development Project Proposal (DPP), the sources added.
Before introduction of the e-passport, a local company-ASL Systems Limited had sent a proposal to the Security Services Division through the foreign ministry to set up e-visa system infrastructure free of cost.
Talking to The Independent, Additional Secretary (Security and Immigration Wing) of Security Services Division of home ministry Mohammed Azharul Huq said that they were planning to introduce e-visa system during the introduction of e-passport, but they didn’t.
“We are working on it. We have asked the DIP to prepare a DPP to introduce e-visa as the e-passport project is going on,” he said.
“The DIP is yet to submit the DPP of the e-visa to the security service division. After receiving the DPP from the DIP, we will send it to the planning commission for taking further steps in this regard,” he added.
When asked about a proposal of a local company to introduce e-visa system free of cost, Azharul Huq said that they don’t know why the local company proposed to introduce e-visa system free of cost.
“It should be taken as a project to introduce the e-visa system and, we don’t know the intention of the company on the matter,” he opined.
When contacted, Project Director (PD) of ‘Introduction of E-Passport and Automated Border Control Management in Bangladesh’, Brig. Gen. Saidur Rahman Khan, told this correspondent “So far as I know, the authorities are working on it, it will take time to finalise it.”
About the proposal of introducing e-visa system free of cost, Manager (government relations) of ASL Systems Limited Zakir Hossain Khan told this correspondent that they have already tagged with a Singaporean company- Auctorizium Pte Limited to do the job on the matter.
“Our firm will help to issue e-visa within the shortest possible time through maintaining required security of the e-visa server systems if we are got the work,” he said.
“We will ensure security protocol of foreigners through advanced security checks,” Zakir claimed.
In December 2019, Md Shahidul Haque, the then senior secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, wrote a letter to the secretary of the Security Services Division of the Home Ministry to consider a proposal made by local firm ASL Systems Limited.
Sources in the DIP said, it is not mandatory to introduce e-visa system just now as the e-passport system is yet to go operation in all the offices of the DIP and the Bangladesh missions abroad in a full sewing.
Huge quantities of Machine Readable Visas (MRVs) are in stock of the DIP. The MRVs are being using only for the foreign passport holders to enter Bangladesh.Source: The Independent BD
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