Dhaka: The government has officially lifted the police verification requirement for issuing passports in an effort to streamline services and alleviate public inconvenience. The Security Service Division announced this development through a gazette notification.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the decision to forgo police verification was based on the country’s robust and reliable database of its citizens. Passports will now be issued based on National Identity Cards (NIDs) for adults, and birth registration certificates for underage applicants, simplifying the passport issuance process.
The notification clarified that police verification would be unnecessary if the database information matches the details provided in the passport application. Authorities have been directed to conduct online verification of the information shown in applicants’ NIDs before issuing passports.
Additionally, the notification mentioned that passports could also be issued to minors residing abroad using their birth registration certificates, further extending the simplified process to citizens living overseas.