11 lakh expats yet to get MRPs

Over 11 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are yet to get Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) with only five days left to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) deadline of November 24, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told parliament yesterday.

According to ICAO rules, no Bangladeshi migrant will be able to travel abroad without MRPs after November 24 unless the UN agency that develops and suggests airline safety standards and practices extends the time. The deadline makes MRPs mandatory for all other nationals as well.

However, in the scripted reply, the foreign minister did not mention if it will be possible to issue MRPs among the rest of Bangladeshi expatriates. He said Bangladesh missions abroad had so far issued 21,15,901 MRPs, while Malaysian outsourcing firm IRIS issued 1,97,222 MRPs.

Besides, 54,540 enrolled MRPs have been waiting for printing by the Department of Immigration and Passport.

The foreign minister also mentioned that his ministry with its own funding had undertaken two projects to provide additional machinery and manpower to Bangladesh missions abroad to achieve the target within the stipulated time set by ICAO.

Replying to the lawmakers' queries, the minister also said some 3,386 Bangladeshis were detained in 29 countries on different charges and waiting for trials.

The minister said 912 Bangladeshis remained detained in Oman, followed by 409 in the UK, 391 in Saudi Arabia, 332 in Bahrain, 307 in Thailand, 207 in the USA, 180 in Greece, 158 in Myanmar and 107 in Singapore.

Besides, 97 remain detained in Mexico, 42 in Jordan, 39 in Hong Kong, 34 in Nepal, 30 in Japan, 26 in Iran, 24 in Turkey, at least 22 in Pakistan, 11 in Sri Lanka, 9 in Kenya, seven in Bulgaria, six in Mauritius, four in North Korea, three each in France and South Korea, two each in Belgium and Georgia, and one each in Sweden, Poland and Egypt.