IRIS May Secure Bangladesh Passport Project

By P. Vijian

DHAKA, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- Bangladesh authorities are considering IRIS Corporation Berhad for a project to supply sophisticated passport-reading machines to overhaul the country's immigration system, said a report.

The Daily Star reported that Bangladesh government agencies had recommended the Malaysian company to introduce machine-readable passport (MRP) and machine-readable visa (MRV) systems.

"The Home Ministry is now scrutinising the evaluation committee report to see whether there are any loopholes. A summary in this regard will soon be sent to the purchase committee for consideration," Home Ministry's Additional Secretary Mohd Ghulam Hussain told the newspaper.

According to the report, eight companies, inculding IRIS, bid for the project after the government floated a tender last July.

IRIS was said to be competing with Flora Telecom Ltd, linked to Luxembourg-based digital security firm Gemalto, but the Malaysian firm could possibly secure the tender due to cheaper pricing.

Several top Bangladesh officials on the evaluation committee -- the Home Ministry, Department of Immigration and Passport (DIP), the police and senior army officers -- had selected IRIS for the multi-million-dollar project.

The International Civil Aviation Orgnisation (ICAO) had directed Bangladesh to introduce the MRP system by April 1, 2010.

The selected company will supply the hardware and software, including the MRPs for a three-year period.

The DIP estimated that 2.2 million passports would be needed each year.

-- BERNAMA

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