No passport to Rohingyas: MKA

 

Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir

Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir on Sunday said the government would strengthen monitoring so that no Rohingya can avail of Bangladeshi passport.
“We won’t issue any passport to any Rohingya knowingly…we’ll take steps if anybody does this,” he told reporters at Agargaon passport office.
Responding to a question, the home minister said the Bangladesh government would not have any objection if any country takes action against any Rohingya who will go abroad with fake Bangladeshi passport.
Asked whether the Rohingyas having fake passports would be brought back here from abroad, he said, “They aren’t our citizens…so, it’s not our responsibility to bring them back home.”
About the missing of 2,823 machine readable passports (MRPs) from Agargaon office, he said the passports went missing due to the negligence of duties of a section of officials. “There’s nothing to be worried about it… necessary steps are being taken against those involved in this matter,” he added.
On renewal of agreement with Malaysia-based IRIS Corporation Berhard for MRP project, Mohiuddin Khan said the renewal of agreement is an administrative matter. “We’re committed to renew the deal timely. There’s nothing to get worried.”
The Malaysian company entrusted with issuing machine-readable passport (MRP) in Bangladesh pulled out of the project for the government’s failure to renew its contract but it got back to work on October 16.
It has agreed to issue MRPs for two more weeks on condition that the contract, which expired on March 31, will be renewed by October 31.
On the lengthy process of issuing new passport, he assured of issuing passport without any unnecessary delay and directed the officials concerned to expedite the process through providing necessary information timely on the applicants.