Digital reforms and tighter monitoring have improved services at the divisional passport office in Dhaka, reducing complaints of delays and corruption.
But just a few metres away, the neighbouring visa office continues to face allegations of open bribery, with applicants claiming that unofficial payments remain the fastest route to approval.
Service seekers at the Divisional Passport and Visa Office in Agargaon alleged that even after paying government fees and completing all required procedures, visa applications are routinely delayed unless applicants pay brokers or intermediaries for “speed money.”
The allegations echo findings of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), which recently reported that passport and visa delivery services remain among the most corruption-prone public services in the country.
According to TIB, 76.6% of households seeking passport-related services experienced bribery, the highest rate among all sectors surveyed.
A visit by TIMES of Bangladesh to the Agargaon office on Sunday found several individuals who were neither applicants nor government employees moving freely inside the visa section, offering assistance in exchange for cash.
One striking example involved a Chinese citizen attempting to renew his visa.
Unable to communicate in Bangla or English, the man relied entirely on a translation app while trying to understand the application process.
He claimed that no official inside the office provided him with guidance.
Instead, he was directed to a makeshift computer shop on the ground floor, where operators helped prepare applications.
The makeshift shop, operating under a large umbrella with laptops and printers, told the Chinese national that although official working hours were almost over, his visa could still be processed the same day, for an additional Tk5,000.
Asked by TIMES how he could arrange a foreigner’s visa despite being an outsider, the shop operator replied casually: “There are people upstairs. If you pay money, the work will be done.”
Another applicant, speaking anonymously, said he had placed extra cash inside his file and handed it to an official at the counter to ensure faster processing.
For many applicants, delays appear to have become a bargaining tool.
Sohel Akhtar, who was trying to renew an on-arrival visa for a foreign professional working on a private project, said he was forced to wait despite completing all formalities.
Akhtar submitted the application on 27 June and obtained police clearance the following day. Yet nine days later, he was still waiting for the visa, despite the official processing time being only 24 hours.
After paying around Tk10,000 in government fees, he said he was asked for an additional Tk10,000 unofficially.
“I was asked for an additional Tk10,000 on the first day. I did not agree to pay. If I had paid the money that day, the work would have been done that day,” Akhtar said.
He added that he was now travelling because he refused to make the unofficial payment.
When contacted by TIMES regarding the allegations, Md Ismail Hossain, Deputy Director of the Divisional Passport and Visa Office, declined to comment immediately and requested written questions. Later attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful as his official mobile number was switched off.
Passport Office tells a different story
The picture at the adjacent passport branch appears significantly different.
Applicants said online submission and digital tracking systems have reduced the need for middlemen, although unofficial channels still exist for those seeking urgent services.
Moktar Hossain, who needed an emergency passport for a foreign interview the following day, admitted that he avoided the regular process.
“I heard express passports are done within two or three days. I did not want to take the trouble. I got it done through an acquaintance for a few thousand taka more,” he said.
However, many applicants who followed the official online process said they received passports without paying any extra money.
Shakil Hossain, a Dhaka University student, said he received his passport within three days through the regular system.
“My father basically completed the entire process. I got it through the regular process,” he said.
For applicants unfamiliar with digital services, small shops outside the office provide assistance in filling out forms for around Tk200, a practice that has become a common alternative to traditional brokers.
Authorities have also displayed photographs of suspected brokers outside the passport office as a warning to applicants.
Graft watchdogs welcomed improvements but warned that isolated successes in Dhaka cannot solve a nationwide problem.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said reforms must extend beyond a few offices.
“We definitely welcome the change that has come. However, it will not be enough if the quality of service improves slightly in just one or two offices in Dhaka. The same quality of service must be ensured in all passport offices in the country,” he said.
He added that many people outside Dhaka continue to suffer due to poor service delivery.
Nur-e Alam Milton, Director of TIB’s Outreach and Communication Department, said corruption remains particularly high in some regions.
“Our report shows that the level of corruption is relatively high in Sylhet and Barisal regions. About 90 per cent of respondents in these regions have reported experiencing some form of corruption,” he said.
Milton urged the government to bring application support services under an official digital framework rather than allowing informal brokers to dominate the process.
“If the government wants, it can bring these services into an institutional framework and manage them easily and transparently. Then the common man will no longer have to go to brokers,” he said.
Md Nurul Hafiz, Director of Administration and Finance at the Passport Directorate, declined to comment on the TIB findings.
Another senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, defended the department’s performance, saying eliminating every complaint from government offices remains difficult.
“Ensuring 100% perfect service in government offices is always challenging. There will always be some complaints,” he said.
