Only regularised civil servants with GO eligible

The home ministry, through a circular yesterday, imposed stringent measures for issuing official passports against the backdrop of allegations that some were used in human trafficking last year.

Only those appointed under the government revenue budget, meaning regularised employees, will be eligible on condition that they obtain a government order (GO) and upload it to their respective government website for verification by the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP), it said.

"...no NOC (no-objection certificate) will be accepted," DIP Director General Brig Gen Masud Rezwan told a press conference at its head office in the capital, adding, "The decision came following some scandals with official passports."

Previously either a GO or a NOC sufficed.

Renewal of those already issued will require GOs, he said, adding that around 2,00,000 government employees were now using official passports.

Last year, the Turkish government informed the foreign ministry of three persons carrying fake official passports.

The DIP found the allegation to be true in preliminary probes. Four of its officials and staff, who had signed the passports giving clearance that the information provided for those had been verified, were later suspended.

The home ministry is also conducting probes and Masud said severe punishment would be handed down once the investigation reports were available.

On reducing harassment of passport seekers, he said they were planning to accept applications online. Senior DIP officials were present.