Govt to cancel red passports

The government has decided to cancel all diplomatic (red) passports, including those allocated for former ministers and members of parliament (MP).

It has already started the process of taking necessary steps in this regard, Md Mashiur Rahman, senior secretary of the security service division of the home ministry, told today.

A discussion was held at the ministry in this regard recently, and an order will be issued within the shortest time.

"We have already directed the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) in this regard. The DIP already started the process and hopefully, the order will be issued soon," said the secretary.

The move comes over two weeks after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5.

Along with members of parliament, their family members also carry diplomatic passports.

Asked about cancelling the MP's family members' passport status, the senior secretary said, "As we are cancelling the diplomatic passport of the primary holder, automatically their family members' passports will also be cancelled.

"If anyone [holding a diplomatic passport] wants to take a new passport, then the person has to surrender the diplomatic or red passport first and then an ordinary passport will be issued as per law," he added.

Ministry sources said once the red passport is cancelled, former ministers and MPs who have criminal cases against their names or have been arrested may have to go through a legal process to get ordinary passports.

In that case, they can apply for a general passport only after getting a court order.

Along with the MPs, the officials of Bangladeshi missions abroad also get red passports. Those with red passports do not need a visa to travel abroad. They get a visa on arrival after landing in their respective country. Red passports or diplomatic passports are red in all countries.

Once the cancellation order is issued, former MPs or ministers who are currently abroad have to surrender their red passports to the DIP office in the respective countries or after coming back to Bangladesh.

According to ministry sources, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was a red passport holder. In the face of a mass uprising against her government, Hasina took refuge in India on August 5 after the fall of the government.

Several former ministers and MPs of the AL government have already been arrested. Some fled abroad before the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government to avoid arrest.

However, there were no reports of anyone fleeing abroad after the fall.

Many former ministers and MPs are still hiding in the country, and law enforcement agencies are conducting drives to arrest them as over two dozen cases have already been filed against them.

According to the passport department, the ministers and MPs get diplomatic passports (red passports) for five years of the tenure of the parliament after the formation of a new government.

When the term of parliament ends, the validity of the passport also ends.