Passport offices hit by organised bribery claims

An investigation has revealed allegations of a deeply entrenched bribery network operating across Bangladesh’s passport offices, with brokers, office staff and officials allegedly involved in a highly organised system that extracts illegal payments from applicants seeking passport services.

The findings come days after Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) identified passport services as the country’s most corruption-prone public service.

According to TIB’s Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2025, released on 25 June, 84.4 percent of households seeking passport services reported experiencing corruption, while 76.6 percent said they had paid bribes.

According to the investigation, broker networks operating around regional passport offices work closely with certain office personnel, enabling applicants who pay additional money to obtain passports with relative ease, while those following the official process often face delays and repeated obstacles.

Applicants reportedly pay an extra Tk3,000 to Tk3,500 beyond the official government fee under various pretexts, including application submission and correction of information. Passports that officially cost Tk4,025 for a standard five-year e-passport are allegedly processed through brokers for Tk10,000, Tk13,000 or even Tk16,000.

Victims interviewed during the investigation alleged that minor documentation errors are frequently used to delay applications, effectively forcing many applicants to seek the assistance of brokers.

Investigators further alleged that brokers insert identifying codes, often through email addresses entered in a specific section of passport applications, enabling office staff to recognise broker-submitted files and process them more quickly.

Based on information gathered from brokers and service recipients, the investigation estimates that the country’s 68 regional and district passport offices, excluding the main Agargaon office, collectively generate an average of Tk1.72 crore in illicit payments every working day, amounting to approximately Tk24.62 crore each month. Several brokers claimed the actual figure could be considerably higher.

The report alleges that the proceeds are distributed through a structured mechanism overseen by an employee commonly referred to as the “channel master”, who reportedly maintains records of collections and distributes money among officials and staff according to predetermined shares. Anonymous brokers claimed collections are typically settled every Wednesday and Thursday based on passport files submitted through broker networks.

According to the investigation, around 80 percent of passport applications are processed through these broker channels. Offices with higher application volumes reportedly generate larger amounts of illegal income, making postings to such offices highly sought after.

The Department of Immigration and Passports categorises offices into A, B and C according to application volume. Investigators alleged that Category A offices, which receive the highest number of applications, also generate the largest illegal earnings, with some reportedly collecting more than Tk1.5 crore in bribes each month.

Among the offices highlighted, Narayanganj and Chattogram were identified as particularly vulnerable.
At the Narayanganj Regional Passport Office, investigators alleged that around 300 of the approximately 350 daily passport applications are submitted through brokers, generating roughly Tk3.3 lakh in illegal payments each day.

Deputy Assistant Director Naeem Ahmed told The New Nation that the office regularly warns applicants through public announcements not to use brokers. However, when asked about the alleged daily bribery transactions, he did not respond.

The investigation also raised allegations against Assistant Director Abzaul Alam of the Tangail Regional Passport Office regarding alleged collusion with brokers, abuse of authority and harassment of applicants.

The report notes that Alam had previously faced an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case relating to the alleged issuance of a Bangladeshi passport to an Indian national.

A charge sheet was submitted in 2022 naming him among the accused. Despite this, the report says he was subsequently promoted. It also cites allegations that he secured protection from disciplinary action by paying Tk2 crore, although no evidence supporting this claim was presented.

Speaking to The New Nation, Alam denied any direct involvement in bribery, describing a recently circulated viral video involving him and a passport applicant as an attempt to damage his reputation. He acknowledged that becoming involved in an argument with the applicant had been inappropriate but declined to comment on the ACC case.

Investigators also alleged that the Munsurabad Divisional Passport Office and Chandgaon Regional Passport Office in Chattogram collectively generate nearly Tk50 crore annually through illicit transactions involving broker-managed passport applications, while additional illegal payments are allegedly linked to machine-readable passports, concealment of criminal cases and fraudulent passport issuance.

Chattogram District Commissioner Zahidul Islam said authorities periodically conduct drives against brokers and assured that action would be taken against any passport employee found involved in corruption.

Elsewhere, investigators reported similar allegations surrounding the Narsingdi Regional Passport Office, although local officials maintained that public services had improved significantly and pending applications had fallen sharply.

One notable enforcement action occurred in Thakurgaon on 14 January 2025, when the ACC caught an assistant accountant allegedly accepting a Tk50,000 bribe from a passport renewal applicant.
The investigation further claims that the bribery network extends beyond regional offices.

An unnamed official of the Department of Immigration and Passports reportedly told ACC investigators that the system is deeply institutionalised, alleging that cash-filled envelopes are periodically delivered to senior officials at the department’s headquarters in Agargaon.

The report also refers to a 2019 operation by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), which reportedly identified 25 officials suspected of corruption and forwarded their names to the ACC. However, it alleges that many later returned to influential positions.

Experts cited in the investigation argue that tackling corruption at passport offices will require dismantling both the broker syndicates operating at the field level and the alleged influence surrounding appointments and transfers within the department.

Repeated attempts by The New Nation to obtain comments from Director General of the Department of Immigration and Passports Major General Nurul Anwar reportedly went unanswered.