Dhaka: Bangladesh needs to increase its efforts to curb fraudulent visa applications, as officials and stakeholders warn that unethical brokers, operating both at home and from Western capitals, continue to exploit social media, with prosecutions of offenders remaining rare.
According to United News of Bangladesh, these concerns were highlighted at a meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday, where participants reviewed progress in addressing the drivers of visa fraud. They noted that loosely regulated intermediaries, online misinformation, and weak cross-border enforcement are undermining recent policy measures despite growing scrutiny from destination countries.
Envoys from Italy, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands commended Bangladesh’s landmark ordinance, the “Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants Ordinance,” which criminalizes the smuggling of migrants, including those facilitating illegal activities through document fraud. This was discussed at the meeting convened by Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi at his office, attended by heads of the Special Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and representatives from National Security Intelligence (NSI), the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, it was perceived that until recently, Bangladesh authorities were not serious about curbing the prevalence of fraudulent documents used in visa applications, eroding trust and contaminating the approval process. Specific examples included embassies receiving hundreds of applications with fake job offer letters and tourist visa applications accompanied by fake bank statements. In one notable case, a Facebook page had collected significant fees from victims before being disrupted, leading to ongoing law enforcement prosecutions.
Concerns were also raised about the abuse of airports granting visa-on-arrival to Bangladeshis as transit points for illegal migration. One country reported receiving over 6,000 asylum applications from Bangladeshis entering on student or work visas. Another country mentioned a breakdown of trust in Bangladeshi documents, lengthening visa processing times, and a temporary suspension of applications pending an investigation.
On a positive note, United Commercial Bank (UCB) introduced QR codes on bank statements for easier verification. Intelligence sharing agreements are being established to tackle transnational crime, and technical systems like the EU’s Returnee Case Management System (RCMS) are being utilized. However, the frequent transfer of trained immigration officers was noted as a challenge.
The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) has automated processes and linked systems with immigration police to monitor BMET card-holders’ movements. Despite this, unregulated sub-agents remain a concern, highlighting the need for awareness campaigns about potential broker abuses.
Bangladesh’s participation in The Hague Apostille Convention emphasizes its commitment to ensuring genuine notarized documents. All parties at the meeting sought high-level focus and commitment from the interim government to tackle this issue transparently and commended the unprecedented cooperation from Bangladesh.