Passport seekers are waiting for days in long queues in front of Barisal passport office following a rumour that candidates who did not pass the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination will not be issued passport after the first week of January.

This correspondent saw about half a kilometer long queue in front of the passport office at Band Road yesterday morning. Some of the people standing in the long line said they were waiting for 16 hours including the chilly night.

The same scene was in front of Sonali Bank branch at its Barisal corporate office at Bogura Road for depositing passport forms and fees.

Official and witnesses said the rush became abnormal since November after the rumor spread.

The Barisal regional passport office also covers Bhola, Jhalakati and Pirojpur. A passport issuing counter was opened at Patuakhali deputy commissioner's office in October for applicants from Patuakhali and Barguna districts.

Alam of Lalmohan in Bhola, Rafikul Islam of Bakerganj, Jewel Molla of Uzirpur, Wahidul of Mehendiganj, Yusuf Ali fof Nalchhity, Srikanta of Swarupkati said they were in the queue in front of Sonali Bank branch since about 11 pm Saturday afternoon to deposit passport fees after the bank

would open Sunday morning.

After depositing money we will rush for the queue in front of passport office, about two kilometers from the bank counter to deposit forms, they said.

Shamsuddin Gazi of Charfession in Bhola, waiting in a queue in front of passport office since Sunday morning said police charged batons on them at about 2 am Sunday.

Sources at the passport office said they receive at least 2000 applications a day since October against an average of300 earlier.

They can not cope with the unusual rush due to shortage of manpower, the officials said.

The government has dispelled the rumor as false.