Home, foreign ministries clash over expatriate passport authority
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are locked in a jurisdictional turf war over issuing passports to expatriate Bangladeshis.
Neither side is willing to concede ground, and an inter-ministerial meeting convened to resolve the dispute ended without any resolution as both ministries remained firm in their positions, citing official rules and regulations.
If a resolution cannot be reached after another meeting, intervention from the highest level of government will be sought. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been issuing these passports since 1973, according to government policy-making sources.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, claiming jurisdiction over expatriate passport issuance by citing the Vienna Convention and the Rules of Business.
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs described the claim as a direct violation of the Rules of Business and the Secretariat Instructions, asserting that administrative oversight, outsourcing contracts, personnel recruitment, overall activities regarding biometric data security, and statutory authority over Passport and Visa Wings stationed abroad remain exclusively under its domain.
After this, an inter-ministerial meeting was held on 13 October at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Chaired by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, the meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Director General (DG) of the Department of Immigration and Passports.
Both sides articulated their arguments, but with no resolution reached, another meeting will be scheduled shortly. Officials from both ministries declined to comment on the record.
In a letter sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 28 September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Approval from the prime minister has been obtained to provide all types of consular services to expatriate Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar quickly and easily through private companies without any financial involvement of the government. In continuation of this, the provision of passport and consular services to expatriate Bangladeshis through appropriate organizations under the supervision of the Bangladesh embassies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar is under process, which may be launched by November.”
The letter added, “There is widespread resentment among expatriate Bangladeshis regarding passport services in Saudi Arabia. The reason is that service is provided to nearly 40 lakh people through the limited personnel of the embassy and consulate.
“According to its election manifesto, the government is committed to expediting and simplifying consular and other welfare services for expatriate Bangladeshis. For this reason, 65 new enrollment stations (registration centers) need to be established in these locations.”
Asserting exclusive authority over the Passport and Visa Wings for expatriates, the letter noted, “The Passport and Visa Wings under the Ministry of Home Affairs in the aforementioned embassies are functioning directly under the supervision of the head of the mission.
“According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations-1961 (VCDR Art 3) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations-1963 (VCCR Art 5), the responsibility for providing passport and consular services to Bangladeshi citizens abroad lies with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its subordinate embassies or heads of mission. According to the Rules of Business-1996, fulfilling responsibilities related to this fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
The letter also said discussions on these matters had taken place between the foreign minister and the home minister.
The Ministry of Home Affairs prepared a comprehensive legal review report and presented it at the 13 October inter-ministerial meeting. The report said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested the provision of 65 additional e-passport enrollment and biometric stations, including 40 in Saudi Arabia, 15 in Oman, and 10 in Qatar. Citing the approval of an outsourcing firm in Saudi Arabia under its own authority (a new entity replacing Al Mamal Logistics), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has claimed sole jurisdiction over managing all operations related to Passport and Visa Wings abroad pursuant to the Rules of Business-1996 and the Vienna Conventions (VCDR-1961 and VCCR-1963).”
Rebutting these claims, the position of the Ministry of Home Affairs is, “Legal and administrative analysis reveals that these claims by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly contradict Article 55(6) of the Constitution, the Rules of Business-1996 (Amended 2025) issued by the president, and the Secretariat Instructions, 2024. The administration of Passport and Visa Wings located abroad, outsourcing agreements, recruitment of personnel, overall activities concerning biometric data security, and statutory jurisdiction belong to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Under international conventions, consular duties and passport-related activities at missions fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, according to Article 145(A) of the Constitution, Bangladesh is a dualist state. As such, international treaties or conventions are not automatically applicable within the country and do not take precedence over national notifications or laws. VCDR (Art 3) and VCCR (Art 5) merely govern the diplomatic rights of the sending state on the territory of the host state; international law does not determine which ministry operates within the sending state.”
The report presented by the Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized that the Rules of Business is the sole governing document determining a ministry’s jurisdiction, adding that this violation will be formally reported to the Cabinet Division.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, several officials from both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the sole government authority empowered to issue passports, the Department of Immigration and Passports, is an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
As a result, the Ministry of Home Affairs holds controlling authority over all related operations, whereas the scope of work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is distinctly defined, with both entities governed by the Rules of Business.
Officials noted that the crux of the dispute involves appointing outsourcing agents to streamline passport and consular services for expatriate Bangladeshis - a process where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs selects the agents, but mandatory administrative approval rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
