Why are e-gates at Dhaka airport not operational yet?

Here is another classic example of the blame game so often seen among different agencies in the public sector. This time, its place of occurrence is Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, where the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) and the Special Branch (SB) of police are blaming each other for their inability to make the e-gates there operational although seven months have elapsed since their inauguration. The e-gates were installed to make the immigration process easier and enhance the international ratings of Bangladeshi passports.

It is quite disconcerting to learn that while this expensive digital machinery sits idle at the main international airport of the country, the DIP is blaming the SB for the stalemate whereas the latter alleges that it did not get the required server link from the former to make the e-gates functional. And as the tussle between the two offices drags on, the immigration work of the inbound and outbound passengers is being carried out manually.

The features of e-gates look attractive on paper. It has been said that once the e-gates are in operation, the camera attached to the gate will identify the passenger automatically after scanning and analysing information from the e-passport chips. The e-passports add a layer of security to traditional non-electronic passports by embedding an electronic chip in the passport booklet, which stores the biographical information visible on page 2 of the passport, as well as a digital security feature.

As novel as all this sounds, the reality is that the machinery could not be made functional merely for the lack of a link between the e-passport server and the e-gates. This speaks volumes about the lack of coordination so typical among the collaborating agencies of the government, and the lack of preparation on the part of the offices involved before the inauguration of this important machinery.  

The entire story smacks of departmental lack of coordination and wastage of public funds. The two departments in question belong to the same ministry and the same minister had inaugurated the project. Therefore, any delay caused by lack of coordination is totally unacceptable. The pertinent question is: why do we inaugurate projects that are not ready to operate? This no doubt reduces public confidence in the way things are run in these institutions. We hope the home minister will resolve this impasse immediately.