Bangladesh first launched
e-passport services in South Asia
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| E-passport Era in Bangladesh |
E-passports add a layer of security to
traditional non-electronic passports by embedding an electronic chip in the
passport booklet that stores the biographical information visible on page 2 of
the passport, as well as a digital security feature.
The digital security feature is a country-specific “digital signature.” These digital signatures are unique to each country and can be verified using their respective certificates. German company Veridos GmbH has been working on e-passport and e-gate in the country.
The digital security feature is a country-specific “digital signature.” These digital signatures are unique to each country and can be verified using their respective certificates. German company Veridos GmbH has been working on e-passport and e-gate in the country.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the
e-Passport services and automated border control management at programme
The e-Passport is now initially being issued
from three offices – Uttara, Jatrabari and Agargaon –of the Department of
Immigration and Passports in Dhaka. These offices have the capacity to issue
25,000 passports a day.
Gradually, e-Passports services will be
introduced in 69 passport offices across the country and some 75 Bangladesh
missions in phases. The services will be available in other parts of the
country within 2020.
The delivery of e-passports will start in
regional offices by the end of 2020. The services will expand in phases.
Machine-readable passports will remain valid as well.
DIP will initially distribute e-passports form
its Agargaon, Uttara and Jatrabari offices in Dhaka, Home Minister Asaduzzaman
Khan had previously said at a press briefing on Sunday.
It will issue 48-page and 64-page e-passports
with the validity of five years and ten years respectively.
The decision on introducing digital passport
comes less than a decade after Bangladesh switched from manual passport to the
machine-readable passport or MRP.
The government took the initiative to
introduce e-passports in the wake of more than one passport being illegally
issued against one person in the absence of a database of fingerprints of
citizens.
Under the agreement, the firm will deliver two
million e-passport booklets, equipment with the capacity of producing 28
million passports, hardware, software and 10-year maintenance service.
In July last year, DIP sealed a more than Tk
30 billion contracts with the world-leading identity solutions provider Veridos,
a German joint venture, to introduce e-passports in Bangladesh.
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