Advisers Begin Surrendering Diplomatic Passports as Interim Government Nears End of Tenure

As the tenure of the interim government draws to a close, advisers have begun surrendering their diplomatic passports, officials said. Several advisers have already returned their passports, while others are preparing to do so in the coming days.

Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and Primary and Mass Education Adviser Professor Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar have already submitted their diplomatic passports.

According to officials concerned, between January 20 and February 2, the advisers surrendered their special passports and applied for ordinary passports.

Commenting on the matter, Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain said that some advisers had handed over their diplomatic passports in order to quickly obtain ordinary passports and secure necessary visas. However, he clarified that neither he nor his wife has surrendered their diplomatic passports so far.

Officials familiar with the process noted that former holders of diplomatic passports can face embarrassing situations or administrative complications at airports if they continue to use such documents after leaving office. As a result, advisers are opting to revert to ordinary passports before stepping down, a move expected to make personal travel smoother and hassle-free.