Govt faces huge challenge over MRP for expats

The government is facing a major challenge in
its attempts to provide machine-readable
passports (MRPs) to about nine million
expatriates by November.
To meet the deadline, the government decided
to send a “mobile team”, in countries with much
Bangladeshi population, Expatriates' Welfare
and Overseas Employment Minister Khandkar
Mosharraf Hossain said in Parliament on
Tuesday.
Replying to a supplementary question, he said if
the MRPs were not handed over to the
expatriates by November, their citizenship would
become invalid.
“It is a big challenge to give MRPs to about
nine million expatriates within such a short
period,” he said.
He said efforts were on to find a solution to the
challenge in consultation with the foreign
ministry.
After discussing the issue with the ministry it
was decided that a ‘crash programme’ would be
initiated, he said.
“To get MRP, expatriates won't have to go to
embassies. Mobile teams have been sent with
cameras and computers to the Bangladeshi-
inhabited areas,” he informed Parliament.
The entire process was outsourced so that it
could be implemented within the stipulated time
frame, he added.
In reply to another supplementary question, the
minister expressed hope that the “issue will be
resolved” by November.