THE deadline for Bangladeshis living abroad to switch to machine readable passports (MRPs) runs out in about two weeks time and the tussle between the Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP) and the contracting company IRIS continues as time runs out. On top of that the company has apparently siphoned off Tk50 crore collected as passport fees. To put it in a nutshell the whole situation is a complete mess and while the tug of war continues between the government and IRIS, one cannot foretell what fate will befall the half a million expatriates in two weeks' time when they no longer have valid documentation.

This whole situation has been mismanaged from inception. Despite the company violating one guideline after another and the authorities failing to live up to its end of the deal in terms of paying service charge owed to the company, we have now arrived at a critical juncture. This is not how things are done when it comes to running the passport department. It is unpardonable that the company in question was allowed to continue to work on the MRP deal, despite having been found guilty of financial misconduct. 

After November 24, the fate of 500,000 expatriate workers in countries of the Middle East and Malaysia will depend on the governments of these respective countries. We have no one to blame except ourselves should they be sent back. The economic repercussions of a fall out of this magnitude do not require further explanation.