Rohingya Youth Arrested While Trying to Get Passport in N’ganj

Staff Correspondent :
A Rohingya youth named Aziz Khan was arrested at the Narayanganj Regional Passport Office for attempting to obtain a passport using false information. On Monday (December 1), during biometric verification, discrepancies in his identity were detected, and the office security detained him and handed him over to the police. Passport office officials said that initially, everything seemed normal. He presented himself as a Hafiz named “Abdul Aziz,” claiming to be 25 years old with a date of birth of January 10, 2000. He provided his
father’s name as Haji Nazibullah and his mother’s name as Sukra Begum.

However, the biometric scan revealed his true identity. It showed that he is not a Bangladeshi citizen but a Rohingya refugee named Aziz Khan. According to Rohingya records, his real date of birth is January 5, 2001, and his father’s name is Salamat Khan. He entered Bangladesh on February 2, 2018, and his Rohingya reference number is
10820180410081935. The national ID data showed his current address as Ichapura village in Sirajdikhan Upazila, Munshiganj, from where he obtained a national ID on September 16 of this year.

His permanent address was listed as South Hashimpur in Chandanaiish, Chittagong. In his passport application, he mentioned his current address as Kanchpur area in Sonargaon. The names Nazibullah and Sukra Begum, which he had given as his parents, were linked to addresses in Khajirpara and Hashimpur in Chandanaiish, Chittagong. Both had obtained their national IDs onSeptember 14 of this year. Passport office officials said that Aziz Khan had been preparing for some time to obtain a passport using a fake identity. Even the national ID information was meticulously fabricated. There is suspicion that a broker network may be involved in this case.

Shamim Ahmed, Deputy Director of the Narayanganj Regional Passport Office, said: “During preliminary questioning, he admitted that he is a Rohingya. He had obtained the NID from Munshiganj in exchange for 18,000 Taka.” He added, “We routinely verify all applicant documents very carefully. The person arrested today attempted to get a passport using a fake NID and false information. His real identity was detected during biometric
verification, and he was then handed over to law enforcement. A passport is an important state document, and false information is absolutely unacceptable.” He also stated, “If a Rohingya or any other foreign citizen tries to obtain a passport under a false identity, strict action will be taken. Our office is working even more diligently to ensure that only legitimate citizens can obtain Bangladeshi passports.”

Aziz Khan has been handed over to the police for questioning. Law enforcement is now investigating the broker network and other parties involved, and preparations are being made to file a case. Deputy Director Shamim Ahmed added, “Many Rohingyas fall prey to
broker networks to travel abroad under Bangladeshi identities. Fake birth registrations and fake NIDs are being created for large sums of money. To prevent such fraud, coordination with relevant departments will be strengthened.”