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Ecnec to decide MRP fate today

Rejaul Karim Byron
The much-awaited machine-readable passport (MRP) and visa project will be placed at a meeting of Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today.
The five-year project will be implemented at a cost ofTk 350 crore although the last BNP-led alliance government attempted to undertake the project with an estimated cost ofTk 750 crore bypassing Ecnec in 2006.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will chair today’s Ecnec meeting. The home ministry sent the project proposal to the planning ministry to fulfil an international obligation after the present Awami League led government came to power.
The attempt of the previous BNP government had failed, as the purchase committee rejected the project due to excessive cost.
Planning ministry sources said the government would earn aroundTk 9.000 crore in the next five years when the project will be implemented.
Bangladesh will have to introduce MRP to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements by April 2010. If the country fails to become a member of K _\O Bangladesh citizens' access to international manpower markets as well as obtainin g all types of visas would be at risk
Some 115 out of 187 member nations of the ICAO, including India and Pakistan, have so far issued machine-readable passports to their citizens.
"We need Tk 350 crore for software and hardware for the project and Tk 9 crore to engage the consultant firm but we have Tk 2 crore in hand," said Abdur Rob Hawlader, director general of the Department of Immigration and Passport, while talking to The Daily Star last month.
Home ministry sources said the ministry will float an international tender to start the implementation of the project immediately after the cabinet approval.
Earlier in 2006, the home ministry sent a Tk 1,561 crore project for procurement of machine-readable passport, visa and national identity cards to the purchase committee.
Of the amount, about Tk 750 crore was set aside for MRP and visa. The proposal was sent to the purchase committee without approval of Ecnec to award the tender to a single company. But the purchase committee rejected the project at that time.
During the caretaker government regime in 2007-08, the home ministry revived the project but eventually decided to leave the project for the next elected government.