Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the e-passport service and automated border control management at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here on the day, he said while talking to reporters at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Sunday.

“e-passports will increase the acceptability of Bangladeshi passports across the world, ensure security which will ease visit and immigration process globally,” he said.

Primarily, e-passports will be issued from Uttara, Jatrabari and Agargaon regional passport offices and later it will be introduced in 72 regional and divisional offices and 80 foreign missions in phases, said the minister adding that it will be available in other parts of the country within 2020.

The police verification certificates will be available through online and the three passport officers have the capacity to issue 25,000 passports a day, said the minister.

The e-passport and automated border control management project is being implemented by the Immigration and Passport Department and J Herman Company Veridos GmbH with assistance from the Bangladesh Army under the Security Services Division of the Home Ministry.

An applicant will have to pay Tk 3,500 for normal 48-page passport, Tk 5,500 for urgent, Tk 7,500 for very urgent for five years tenure while Tk 5,000, Tk 7,000 and Tk 9,000 for passports of 10 years tenure.

Besides, Tk 5,500 for 68-page passport under normal category, Tk 7,500 and Tk 10,500 under urgent and very urgent categories respectively for five years tenure while Tk 7,000, Tk 9,000 and Tk 12,000 for 10 years tenure.

Besides, separate fees have been fixed for general applicants, workers and students living abroad.

Meanwhile, an applicant abroad will have to pay $100 for 48-page Bangladeshi passport under normal category for five years and $ 125 for normal, $150 for urgent while $ 175 for very urgent category for 10 years.