Over 76 percent passport seekers face irregularities and corruption, while 75.3 percent have to bribe police for their clearance in the process to have a new passport, reports UNB. A new passport applicant has to pay Tk 797 on average in bribe to police for getting their clearance, according to the findings of a survey titled 'Good Governance in Passport Services: Challenges and Doings' revealed here on Monday.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) conducted the countrywide survey from September, 2016 to May this year. Researcher Shahnur Rahman presented the research report at TIB auditorium at Maidas Centre, Dhanmondi.

The TIB report recommended cancellation of the system of police clearance and certification of necessary papers in getting new passports to end corruption in this sector and ease the entire process.

The report found that 55.2 percent of passport seekers who participated in the study had been the victims of irregularities, harassment and corruption. The average amount of bribe the service seekers paid for getting passport is Tk 2,221, according to the survey report.

It said many people do not get passports at the time mentioned in the slip they receive from the passport office. Twenty-seven percent respondents said it took 12 days more than the scheduled time in getting their passports, the report added.

The report revealed that 41.7 percent of the service seekers took the help of brokers or others for getting the passport and among them, 80 percent took brokers' help.

The report further said this rate of taking 'brokers'

assistance' is the highest in Sylhet Division with 60 percent and the lowest in Rajshahi with 20 percent. TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Chairperson of Trustee Board Advocate Sultana Kamal also spoke at the programme.

Sultana Kamal said the system of police clearance creates a huge scope of corruption and to end passport seekers' harassment this system should be abolished.

She said if the brokers are not allowed to enter the passport office they would not get the chance to take extra money from passport seekers and this issue should be taken into consideration for stopping corruption at passport offices.