Passport Policy Pivot: Bangladesh Reinstates ‘Except Israel’ Clause
The Government of Bangladesh has officially reinstated the clause “Except Israel” on its passports, marking a return to its earlier travel restriction policy. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Security Services Division issued a notification to this effect on Sunday, April 13.
Confirming the move, Nilima Afroze, Deputy Secretary of the Security Services Division, stated, “The phrase ‘Except Israel’ has been reinstated in the passport. A circular has already been issued in this regard. The decision to restore the phrase was signed in April.”
Sources indicate that the Ministry has directed the Department of Immigration and Passports to take necessary steps to implement the reinstatement of the restriction.
Historically, Bangladeshi passports carried the phrase: “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.” However, in 2020, under the leadership of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government introduced a new e-passport format which excluded the phrase “except Israel,” replacing it with the simplified: “This passport is valid for all countries of the world.” The change was implemented without any formal announcement at the time.
The recent move restores the original policy, reaffirming Bangladesh's longstanding stance of not recognizing the state of Israel and prohibiting travel there using Bangladeshi passports.
