Mohammad Salam, a Rohingya Muslim seeking asylum in Australia, was detained at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 24 December 2018. He was found to be carrying a fake tourist visa.
Salam's relatives are refugees living in Bangladesh where they settled after fleeing persecution in Myanmar. Salam intended to spend the holidays with his family in Bangladesh and spent roughly $2,500 (AUD) on airfares. However, Salam was stopped at the airport where he says he learned that his visa was invalid - a fake.
Speaking over the phone to SBS Bangla from Dhaka airport, Salam said that because of work commitments in Sydney he did not have the time to personally apply for a tourist visa.
"Instead I asked for help from someone I knew and gave him $400 to obtain the visa on my behalf," he said.
"After a couple days that person returned the travel document with a tourist visa stamp for Bangladesh which had been manually filled in."
Fake visa issued in the name of Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra. Source: SBS Bangla
"After arriving in Dhaka airport, I gave my passport to immigration for clearance. Then the immigration officer told me the visa I am carrying is invalid."
Salam claims he was then made to board a return flight to Sydney, where he said he would be complaining to the relevant authority.
SBS Bangla has spoken with the officer in charge of Immigration at Hazrat Shahajalal International Airport who confirmed that around 20 other Rohingyas currently seeking asylum in Australia had also been deported on arrival because of fake visas.
Document given to Mohammad Salam by authorities at Dhaka airport. Source: Supplied
Salam’s travel documents consisted of an Australian Convention Travel Document (CTD) in which the visa for Bangladesh was stamped. The CTD is a biometric refugee travel document issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, given to individuals recognised as refugees who reside in Australia. It's a certificate of identity as well.
Salam’s story is echoed by those of other two Rohingya asylum seekers: Hashim and Hossain.
Australian Convention Travel Document. Source: SBS Bangla
They claim they gave $350 to a fellow Rohingya, who procured the necessary tourist visa for Bangladesh.
As in Salam’s case, the alleged middleman returned Hashim and Hossain’s travel documents with a manually filled tourist visa for Bangladesh.
However, news of fake documentation spread through Australia's Rohingya community, so when the pair heard of the fake visas issue they went to the Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra on Monday to check on the validity of their travel documents.
"The High Commission told me that this visa was not issued by them. They asked me to provide the details of the person who gave me this visa," says Hashim.
"Later on they issued the real visa for both of us," says Hossain.
Newer machine-readable visa issued by Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra. Source: Supplied
Machine-readable visas
The High Commissioner for Bangladesh, Mr Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, has confirmed to SBS Bangla that the Bangladeshi High Commission in Canberra has not issued manually filled in visas since February 2018. Instead, newer machine-readable visas were introduced.
He confirmed that he was aware of alleged fake visas circulating in Australia but said he has not yet involved Australian authorities.
"We heard that some agents in Sydney are doing this scam," Mr Rahman told SBS Bangla. "We are trying to identify them."
Mr Rahman also indicated that the signature of the High Commission's Second Secretary, Ms Shamima Pervin, had been forged on the false visas.
Bangladesh authorities investigating
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh High Commission has informed authorities in Bangladesh and immigration authorities at Dhaka's airport who are reportedly looking into the issue.
After receiving their report the High Commissioner said the matter will be discussed with Australian authorities.
Through talking to at least four people who were issued fake visas SBS Bangla has learned of at least two people from the Rohingya or Bangladeshi community - based in western Sydney and Adelaide - who are believed to be involved in the alleged scam.
"I also heard that many people can't go to Bangladesh because of this issue. And those who are in Dhaka Airport, they are also in trouble," said Hossain.
"I informed the Australian police on Tuesday," says Hashim who is visiting relatives in Bangladesh. "They told me that they will contact me once I am back from Dhaka."
- with Maya Jamieson
