When will migrant workers' passport woes end?

Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers across the globe are waiting for months after applying for renewal of their passports. The entire process of issuing and renewing passports has been halted due to the delay in updating the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) server.

What is the real reason behind the complications surrounding passports? What kind of setbacks are the expat workers facing with the uncertainty regarding their passports amid pandemic induced economic crisis and subsequent anxiety about employment? When will these problems be solved?

In Straight from Star Newsroom, Debjani Shyama is joined by The Daily Star reporter Porimol Palma to discuss the complications in the passport renewal process.