DHAKA: Passports kept in Malaysian High Commission are missing in large number for earning illegal money for making the illegal Bangladeshi migrants, including the Rohingas making them legal.

Each passport is being sold at Tk 150,000 to 250,000, said a spot account in this regard.

A powerful syndicate is controlling the whole process of stealing and selling those passports.

High Commissioner in Malaysia AKM Atiqur Rahman has admitted the incident of missing of 500 passports.

The embassy has suspected the official of the embassy Suchona Rani Halder for the whole scandal. The allegation against Suchana about her overstaying outside the high commission was sent to the foreign ministry at Dhaka.

An enquiry team has been formed, they are working, said Atiqur Rahman.  Reports of the committee will be sent to Dhaka in the next week, he informed.

A source in the high commission informed Banglanews about the stage -managed drama in the name of passport missing. In last November after an on the spot investigation in the embassy this sort of information was learnt.

An embassy source informed that this is not that the thieves in the dark of night after breaking open the almirah have stolen away the passports.

Moreover, security at Jalan U-Thant road is very strong where the embassy is located. He informed that the embassy officials sold out the blank passports through agents. These are sold to illegally staying Bangalees including the Rohingas staying at several places of Malaysia including Kotrai.  

Within next few months Malaysian government will give chances to the illegal expatriates for becoming legal. These passports have been taken out before it. Earlier in 2012 similar incident happened.

Moreover, it was supposed that the embassy will inform the police regarding the missing. As the embassy officials are involved they are hiding it terming it as ‘burglary’, as the source alleged.

An expatriate engaged in law and order controlling authority there told Banglanews that the Bangladeshis were being caught with fake passports during last month.

Specially, from January 21 when there were raids to round up illegal migrants including many Rohingas and Bangladeshi were captured.  Original passports with fake signature and fake visa revealed the leakage of passports from the embassy surfaced.

Embassy source informed that in the racketing of passport even many high ranking officials are involved. The passports sold in the markets bear the signature of second secretary Mizanur Rahman. But Mizanur denied the allegation.

There is allegation also against the delivery man Pallav.
There are many branch committees in the name of ruling Awami League in Malaysia. These committees identify themselves as the original Awami League in Malaysia.  

Several classes of business people and agents are involved with that politics. These groups are involved with the corruptions of the embassy along with passport missing.  

Bashir Ahmed Faruk is a very active agent of Bangladesh embassy. Though he is there with labour visa he identifies himself as the representative of a private TV channel of Bangladesh.

An embassy official informed not to be identified that many high officials need permission to enter the room of the high commissioner. But Bashir does not require it.

Practically the blank passport racketing jobs were done by them through Bashir. When the proof of availability blank passport surfaced they are trying to conceal it as a burglary.

However the embassy is now embarrassed at the surfacing of such a huge number of passports missing. To conceal the matter they are now trying to be innocent as if those were stolen. Bashir has been forbidden for time being to enter the chancery premises.  

The drama of passport missing from high commission in Malaysia is not new, that embassy source informed. Here it is the joint business of the officials and agents. Earlier in 2012 few thousand passports were lost. Later on those lost passports were sold through agents in different places including Kotrai.  

He told that the honorable high commissioner knows everything. Several allegations were raised from Malaysian police and professional visa holders. But he did not take any initiatives.

A three member enquiry committee led by defense adviser in the chancery Air Cdr M Abul Bashar has been formed to investigate the matter.

The source informed that the passports are kept in the vault room of the embassy where second Secretary Suchana Rani Halder’s office locates. All blank passports were kept in her custody.

Meanwhile, a high powered enquiry committee formed with the officials of PMO and foreign ministry will soon go Malaysia for full investigation of the incident.

Foreign ministry sources informed, within few days the committee earlier formed in Kualalumpur will be available.

BDST: 2140 HRS, FEB 05, 2014