Passports Made Easy: Dhaka Citizen Centers Launch New Service
Passport application and renewal services will now be available at 10 Citizen Service Centers across six areas of the capital, announced Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
On Thursday, September 4, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy for International Affairs, Lutfey Siddiqi, formally inaugurated the passport service at the Citizen Service Center in Gulshan.
This marks the first time in Bangladesh that passport services have been introduced outside the traditional passport offices through entrepreneur-driven Citizen Service Centers. According to officials, Citizen Service is currently operating as a pilot and learning program, offering about 400 services from government offices, upazila parishads, and district councils, including passports, driving licenses, birth and death registration, and NID-related services.
Speaking on the initiative, Taiyeb said, “By the end of this month, 10 Citizen Service pilot centers will launch simultaneously at six locations: Gulshan 1, Uttara Sector 6, Nilkhet, Ramna, Mohammadpur, and Banasree. The centers at Gulshan 1, Uttara, and Nilkhet are already fully operational. Out of the 10 pilot Citizen Service Centers in Dhaka, visit the one closest to you, share your service needs with the Citizen Service Center, and provide feedback to improve service quality.”
Highlighting the broader vision, Taiyeb explained, “Citizen Service is creating a National API Connectivity Hub to bring all government office services into one place and free citizens from harassment. Instead of applying separately through hundreds of different ministry websites, people will have access to all services in one place through this national connectivity hub. Past digital islands, including ministry-based online services and digital centers, will also be made interoperable with Citizen Service.”
Calling it Bangladesh’s first Citizen Service Connectivity Hub, Taiyeb emphasized, “Visit the Citizen Service Center. Your feedback is crucial in improving service quality.”
The inauguration of the Gulshan Citizen Service Center was also attended by ICT Secretary Shish Hayder Chowdhury, alongside the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant.
