It shouldn’t be so hard to get a passport

It is the right of every citizen of Bangladesh to be issued a passport. But Transparency International (Bangladesh) reports that three-quarters of all applicants get harassed during the verification process itself, and almost as many are forced to pay a bribe during the police clearance. There is no justification for us to be paying a bribe over documents that we are legally entitled to. But the passport problem points to a larger issue: Far too often, Bangladeshis find themselves subject to harassment and difficult situations when seeking simple services from government offices, even when they have followed the proper procedure. This is a system that needs fixing. Our administrative services are full of corrupt officials trying to make a quick buck at the expense of citizens. The government must make sure that such elements are reported and promptly rooted out of their posts. That is the only way to make the process run smoothly.