Passports of policemen absent from duty to be cancelled

The Department of Immigration and Passports has sent letters to the home ministry and the Police Headquarters in Dhaka in order to cancel the passports of police officers who were absent from duty after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

The agency's Director General Maj Gen Nurul Anwar told the media, “A list of policemen who are absent from duty or absconding after the government’s fall on Aug 5 has been requested.”

"Once we receive a response to the letter sent to the ministry and Police Headquarters, we will begin the process of cancelling the passports."

Officials from the passports department said they are also reaching out to other relevant departments for lists of absent officers in various sectors.

According to a message from Police Headquarters on Sept 17, at least 187 policemen of different ranks have not returned to work since Aug 5. It is unclear how many of them possess passports.