Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said on Tuesday that he has already surrendered his diplomatic passport, stressing that the move follows standard procedure and is not linked to any immediate travel.
“I have already submitted it. I am not going anywhere,” he told reporters, citing health concerns and adding that he attends meetings only when they are extremely urgent.
He made the remarks after the Advisers’ Council on Government Procurement meeting, saying he has no plans to travel abroad unless absolutely necessary.
Asked whether other advisers had also surrendered their diplomatic passports, Salehuddin said several had done so, noting it is a requirement. “Many have submitted theirs. It has to be surrendered—it is a rule,” he said.
He added that advisers would now use ordinary passports like general citizens. “We will get new passports and move around with ordinary passports like you,” he said.
Earlier, the Foreign Affairs Adviser said some advisers had surrendered diplomatic passports to facilitate visa applications using ordinary passports.
Responding to questions about whether using ordinary passports complicates visa processing, Salehuddin dismissed the concern, saying he has never faced difficulties in obtaining visas. He added that he had previously travelled using an official green passport.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain said on Sunday that reports claiming he had surrendered his diplomatic passport were incorrect, though he acknowledged that some advisers have opted for ordinary passports to ease visa processing due to travel-related issues.
“Neither my wife nor I have surrendered our diplomatic passports. My passport is with me,” he said, adding that it would be unusual for a foreign adviser or minister to surrender a diplomatic passport while in office.
He confirmed that some advisers have taken new passports, noting that this can make visa processing easier in certain cases, but did not name those concerned.
