Bangladesh Set to Phase Out MRPs as 99% of Applicants Opt for e-Passports

Bangladesh is moving to phase out machine-readable passports (MRPs), with nearly 99 percent of passport applicants at its overseas missions now opting for e-passports.

The government has instructed missions where e-passport services are fully operational to stop issuing MRPs. It plans to discontinue MRP services at all missions and transition to a fully e-passport system by 31 December.

An inter-ministerial review meeting on MRPs, e-passports and improving citizen services at Bangladesh missions abroad was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs on 23 May, chaired by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.

At the meeting, Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury presented an update on the rollout of e-passports at 71 passport offices across Bangladesh and 71 missions abroad.

Following the meeting, the Home Minister approved a policy decision to completely discontinue MRP services.

Major General Md Nurul Anwar, director general of the Department of Immigration and Passports, said e-passport enrolment at Bangladesh missions abroad had reached 99 percent. He said maintaining and repairing outdated MRP equipment had become increasingly costly and complicated after the MRP project expired in 2018. There is now little justification for continuing the MRP system, he added.

Data from the Department of Immigration and Passports showed that only one MRP was issued against 107,001 e-passports between 30 August and 3 September. The MRP was issued by a consulate abroad, highlighting how demand for the older passport system has virtually disappeared.

Although Bangladesh introduced e-passports in 2020, many expatriate Bangladeshis continued to use MRPs. Some expatriates do not have national identity cards, while discrepancies between birth registration and NID information raised concerns that an abrupt end to MRP services could create complications related to visa and residency permit validity.

As a result, MRP services remained available to expatriates for an extended period.

Under the latest decision, MRP services will be discontinued immediately at missions where e-passport services are fully operational. However, expatriate Bangladeshis will be allowed to use their NID or birth registration certificates to correct information in their e-passports until 31 December.

To speed up passport services for the large number of expatriates in Saudi Arabia, the government has decided to urgently deploy eight additional mobile enrolment kits (MEKs). Bangladesh missions in New Delhi and Kolkata have also been instructed to introduce e-passport services as soon as possible.

A passport department official said no new MRPs would be issued. Existing MRP holders, however, will be able to apply for e-passports later, provided the information on their NID matches the details on their passports.

The official said MRP use abroad had fallen below 5 percent. He added that more consular service centres and staff should be deployed at overseas missions, particularly in the Middle East, to facilitate e-passport services for expatriates and enable the complete phase-out of MRPs.