Published : 02 Aug 2026, 08:43 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:29 AM
The High Court has directed the passport authorities to dispose of all pending passport renewal applications filed by Bangladeshi expatriates within the next 60 days.
The court also issued a rule asking why the authorities' "inaction" in promptly processing applications for new passports and passport renewals for expatriates should not be declared illegal.
The order came on Sunday from a High Court bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Syed Mohammed Tazrul Hossain after a preliminary hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL).
The court directed the authorities to submit a progress report on the implementation of the order within 90 days.
In the rule, the court also sought an explanation as to why directives should not be issued to ensure the speedy disposal of passport-related applications submitted by expatriates.
The cabinet secretary, principal secretary to the prime minister, foreign secretary, expatriates' welfare secretary, law secretary, and the director general of the Department of Passports are among 14 respondents who have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
In a separate order, the court directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send letters within 21 days to Bangladesh's high commissions and embassies abroad, instructing them to promptly forward applications for new passports and passport renewals to the passport authorities. The ministry has also been asked to submit a compliance report within 30 days.
The writ petition was filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), attaching media reports highlighting the prolonged delays in processing passport applications submitted by expatriates.
Advocate Manzill Murshid represented the petitioner, assisted by lawyer Sanjoy Mondal, while Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Jisan Haider appeared for the state.
The petition argued that prolonged delays in passport renewals and the issuance of e-passports violate Articles 31 and 32 of the Constitution, which guarantee the protection of law and the rights to life and personal liberty. It also contended that the delays breach Article 21, which requires public servants to perform their duties.
According to the petition, many expatriates have been unable to renew their visas because their passports have expired, putting them at risk of becoming undocumented migrants in their host countries. Some have reportedly been detained, while others face the prospect of being forced to return to Bangladesh.
The petition further stated that delays in the passport printing process at the Immigration and Passport Office in Dhaka, along with negligence in the serial management system, have severely affected expatriates' legal status, employment, livelihoods, and mental well-being. It warned that the situation also poses a threat to the country's remittance inflows and overall economic stability.
Speaking to bdnews24.com after the hearing, Manzill said: "Millions of Bangladeshi expatriates strengthen our economy by sending remittances home. But because passport issuance and renewal applications remain pending for months, they are facing serious difficulties. Many are even losing their jobs, which ultimately harms the country's economy."
