Passengers using e-visas are facing delays while clearing immigration at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, as immigration officials say barcodes on e-visas do not always contain complete information, making verification time-consuming.
Immigration officials said additional caution has been imposed due to several factors, including objections raised by US immigration authorities, cases of illegal residence by Bangladeshis abroad, and the need to identify criminals and criminal suspects. As a result, some passengers are taking between one and one-and-a-half hours to clear immigration.
Officials said in many cases the visa application link and password are required to verify e-visas, information most passengers do not have readily available. In such situations, immigration officers contact the embassies of the visa-issuing countries by phone to confirm details before allowing passengers to proceed.
They added that many countries issuing e-visas do not email confirmation details or upload information to designated websites, forcing immigration officials to seek verification manually, which further delays passenger clearance.
An immigration officer at HSIA told Dhaka Tribune that all personnel working at the e-visa counters receive basic immigration training and denied allegations of harassment. “There is no scope for immigration harassment,” the officer said, adding that daily passenger inflow is high and extra vigilance has been imposed to prevent people smuggling, illegal immigration and other crimes.
Passengers, however, reported facing difficulties.
On January 6, passengers checking in at the international terminal of HSIA were seen standing in long queues at airline counters due to limited space. Several passengers complained of discomfort as the terminal was crowded and air conditioning was turned off because of cold weather.
At the immigration area, a separate counter was set up for e-visa verification, where long queues had formed.
Sarowardi Hasan, who was traveling to Bangkok with his family, said immigration officials asked him to wait for visa verification. “They asked for the visa application link and password. I told them to check the barcode, but they said the barcode does not contain all the information,” he said, adding that he waited for nearly an hour and feared missing his flight.
Journalist Asaduzzaman Biku, who traveled to Brazil last November to cover a climate conference, said he and several other journalists faced complications during visa verification at immigration. “The police questioned us several times and argued with us,” he said.
He said an immigration officer told them Bangladeshis rarely travel to Brazil, which made officials suspicious. “Later, they verified our visas and allowed us to travel,” he added.
Biku alleged that despite having modern visa-checking equipment, immigration officials sometimes harass passengers and, in some cases, accept bribes when discrepancies are found in travel documents.
Businessman Shahjahan Kabir Liton, who recently traveled to Bangkok for business, made similar allegations. “There is no justification for harassment at immigration. It is a tactic to extract money,” he said.
Liton added that in most countries e-visa verification through barcodes takes no more than five minutes. “Our immigration police need better training. Their technological skills are weak,” he said.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad told Dhaka Tribune that airport authorities had not received any formal complaints regarding passenger harassment. “Action will be taken if complaints are received,” he said.
Aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam said he learned about visa-related complications through his work with passengers. “The reality is that immigration police lack adequate technical skills and proper training,” he said.
He added that the digital devices used for visa verification at the airport are insufficient compared to current operational needs and that improving technical capacity is essential to reduce delays.
What is an e-visa
An e-visa is a digital visa that can be applied for online through the website of a specific country. Applicants can submit documents, make payments and complete the process online without visiting an embassy. Once approved, the visa is sent by email and can be printed for travel.
Many countries have introduced e-visas or Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETA) to expedite travel procedures. Countries offering e-visas include Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Malaysia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kenya.
