ACC launches drive at Uttara regional passport office over broker complaints

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an enforcement operation at the Uttara regional passport office in Dhaka following allegations of harassment of service seekers and the activities of a broker syndicate.

An ACC enforcement team from the commission’s headquarters began the operation on Wednesday morning (September 2) based on numerous complaints that people seeking passport services at the office had allegedly been subjected to harassment and held hostage by brokers for a long time, the ACC’s public relations department said.

The team is examining whether any officials or employees of the passport office have links to the alleged broker syndicate, according to ACC officials familiar with the operation.

Members of the enforcement team are also conducting discreet inspections of different rooms, application submission counters and passport distribution booths to assess the situation and verify the complaints.

The team is examining relevant registers and documents as part of the inquiry. After completing the inspection and assessing the allegations, the ACC will prepare a detailed report for submission to the commission.

Further legal action will be taken based on the commission’s directives following a review of the findings, the ACC said.