Govt halts passport processing for ex-speaker Shirin Sharmin

The passport processing for her husband Syed Ishtiaq Hossain has also been suspended, an officer at the Department of Immigration and Passports says

The Department of Immigration and Passports has reportedly suspended the processing of former speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury's application for a general passport due to her implication in a murder case.

The processing of her husband Syed Ishtiaq Hossain's passport application has also been paused, an officer at the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) said on condition of anonymity.

The former speaker currently does not hold a passport. Her diplomatic passport, along with those issued to other officials under the Awami League administration, has been revoked, according to the DIP.

“Shirin surrendered her diplomatic passport a month and a half ago and applied for a general passport. Getting a passport issued is a lengthy process. A passport application is scrutinised at different phases and only then does the applicant receive one. Shirin Sharmin’s application to have a general passport issued instead of a diplomatic one is still at the preliminary phase. She has yet to receive a passport.”

“The statement given by the Department of Immigration and Passports should be considered as my statement,” DIP Director General Maj Gen Nurul Anwar told bdnews24.com when asked for comment on the issue.

However, he declined to comment on the reported suspension of passport processing for the former speaker and her husband.