DHAKA, July 25, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said she
expected prompt German move to implement its contract with Bangladesh on e-
Passport Project as its outgoing ambassador in Dhaka Dr Thomas Heinrich Prinz
called on her at the PMO.
“She made the request as the German ambassador made a farewell call on her”
at the Prime Minister’s office, premier’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim
briefed reporters.
The project is meant to issue electronic travel documents alongside the
Machine Readable Passports (MRP) for Bangladesh nationals while the two
countries signed the government-to-government contract on July 19 last.
World-leading identity solutions provider Veridos, a joint venture of
Giesecke+Devrient, and Germany’s state-owned Bundesdruckerei GmbH were
entrusted with the task to implement the project.
The long-term Euro 340mn contract covers the entire value-chain for e-
Passports – from security paper right through to e-Gates. The contract will
run for 12 years.
“We are on a good track in regard to business,” the Press Secretary quoted
the envoy as saying.
The premier, Karim said, told the envoy that her government was working for
all round development of the country but continuity of the process could
upset if the continuity of the government is disrupted.
“There is a problem here . . . if the government is changed, the next
government stops the lift projects taken by the previous administration,” she
said.
She appreciated the German envoy’s activities here in the last three and
half a year as he carried the relations between the two countries forward.
Sheikh Hasina conveyed her greetings to German Chancellor Angela Merkel
through the outgoing ambassador.
Prinz expressed satisfaction over the existing bilateral relations and
assured that Germany would continue its cooperation for further development
of Bangladesh.
The German envoy highly praised Bangladesh’s socio-economic development
and said that he is very impressed to see mobile phone in hands of every
people of the country.
He thanked Sheikh Hasina and her government for extending sincere
cooperation during his stay in Dhaka saying “I passed a wonderful time here”.
PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman was present on the occasion.