Bangladesh has officially launched online certificate verification under an internationally recognised system in a bid to cut costs and streamline a process that has long burdened students and workers seeking opportunities overseas with delays and bureaucratic stasis.
The new system will allow for internationally recognised Apostille certificates to be issued for the authentication of public documents through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a media release from the verified Facebook page of the chief adviser on Saturday.
"At least Tk 700 crore could be saved annually if certificate verification were done online for Bangladeshis seeking higher education and overseas employment," the release said.
Until now, Bangladeshis seeking higher education or employment abroad faced a cumbersome, manual process of certificate verification, which involved multiple visits to embassies and foreign authorities, incurring delays and significant financial strain.
This reform is expected to do away with the need for in-person visits to embassies and foreign authorities, reduce fees associated with manual attestation and authentication, ensure the credibility of Bangladeshi documents on the global stage, make overseas work and education smoother, accessible and stress-free.
To eliminate the need for legalisation of foreign public documents, a convention was held in Hague in 1961 known as HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention.
The purpose of the Convention was to issue a single Apostille certificate by a 'Competent Authority' in the place where the document originates to abolish the traditional lengthy requirement of legalisation,
In 2006, an electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) was launched to support the electronic issuance and verification of Apostilles around the world.
Comments