DHAKA: After a long break of 23 years, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returned to the Green Passport arena. 

On Tuesday she received her new passport. 

On behalf of her, BNP chairperson’s advisory council member and former IGP Abdul Qaiyum and Khaleda Zia’s special assistant Mahbub Al Amin Duke collected it from the Agargaon passport office, said BNP Media Wing official Shayrul Kabir Khan. 

Several thousands of BNP leaders and activists were present in front of the Department of Immigration and Passports at capital’s Agargaon when BNP leaders collect Khaleda’s passport. 

Earlier on last Thursday, Khaleda Zia surrendered her diplomatic passport, which is known as ‘Red Passport’ widely, to the passport authorities and applied for a regular one. 

Since the restoration of democracy in 1991, the BNP chief had held the diplomatic passport as she had been either prime minister or opposition leader in recent days. 

But, with the expiry of the ninth parliament's tenure on January 23, after boycotting the January 5 election, she lost her status as opposition leader. With that, she also lost all other state-given facilities. 

In this regard, it was necessary for her to collect regular passport, as Khaleda Zia is likely to visit Saudi Arabia for performing umrah in next Ramadan. Besides, she might travel to some other countries, including India, party sources said. 

According to the Bangladesh Passport Rules, 1974, there are three categories of passport in Bangladesh -- international/ regular passport for traveling abroad, special passport for traveling to India only, and diplomatic passport. 

Besides, there is also the official passport (green cover with identifying blue stamp on the first page) which enables its holders visa free access to certain countries. 

In addition to the members of the diplomatic community, lawmakers, high-ranking officials of the armed forces and the government can also have diplomatic passports. 

BDST: 1615 HRS, MAY 20, 2014