Bangladesh’s interim government has decided to cancel all diplomatic (red) passports, including those of former ministers and parliamentarians.
Senior Secretary of the Security Service Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Mohammad Mashiur Rehman said that the process of taking necessary steps in this regard has been started. He said that a meeting was held in this regard in the Ministry recently, and An order will be issued soon.
The secretary said, “We have issued instructions to the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) in this regard. The DIP has started its implementation and it is hoped that the order will be issued soon.”
The decision came two weeks after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5. Members of parliament as well as their families also hold diplomatic passports.
When asked about the passports of the MP’s family members, the senior secretary said, “When we are cancelling the basic diplomatic passport, the passports of their families will automatically be cancelled.”
“If a person wants to get a new passport, he must first return the diplomatic or red passport and then a normal passport will be issued as per the law,” he added.
According to Bangladeshi media, when the red passport is revoked, former ministers and MPs with criminal cases or who have been arrested may have to go through the legal process to get a normal passport. In this case, they can apply for a normal passport only after a court order. Along with MPs, red passports are also issued to officials of Bangladeshi missions abroad. Red passport holders do not require a visa to travel abroad, they are granted a visa on arrival in the respective country.
After the order is issued, former MPs or ministers who are currently abroad will have to surrender their red passports to the DIP office in their respective countries or after returning to Bangladesh. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also a red passport holder. After the fall of the Awami League government, Sheikh Hasina took refuge in India on August 5. Several former ministers and MPs had fled abroad to avoid arrest before the fall of the Awami League government.
