TIB report baseless: DIP

The Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) yesterday dismissed as baseless a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report that claimed the passport sector had been found to be the most corrupt sector.

However, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told The Daily Star that they stood by their findings as the report was prepared maintaining all aspects of their survey.

At a press conference organised at the DIP office to protest the TIB claim, DIP Director General Brig Gen Masud Rezwan said the report was prepared based on the interviews of only 480 people and that “did not show the real picture”.

He alleged that the TIB report aimed at humiliating the country and the government.

He also informed journalists that they had contacted the TIB and drawn its attention to the “limitation” of the report.

The department has distributed some 1.45 crore passports among Bangladeshis but the report was made based on the opinions of just 480 people, he said.

On this matter, TIB's Iftekharuzzaman said, "We didn't demean anybody or say that the DIP is corrupt. Rather, we said many respondents or people seeking passport-related services are victims of corruption.”

Asked whether there is any corruption at the DIP, DG Masud Rezwan told the press conference that some of its staff may be involved in graft but they were taking action against them.

Talking to The Daily Star last night, he again said the TIB report did not reflect the “genuine picture of the passport department”.

“We will not take responsibilities if anyone gives money to anybody for depositing them in banks or for police verification or to any broker,” he added.

On June 29, the TIB revealed that the passport sector has been found to be the most corrupt one, followed by the law enforcement agencies and education in its National Household Survey 2015.

TIB researchers Waheed Alam, MN Alam and Farhana Rahman presented the findings at a press conference at the TIB office in the capital.

While 77.7 percent households fell victim to corruption while securing services from passport offices, 74.6 percent bribed law enforcement agencies and 60.8 percent bribed educational institutions, it mentioned.

The survey titled “Corruption in Services Sector: National Household Survey 2015” was done on 15,206 rural and urban households from across the country between November 1 and December 25.