Bangladesh restores ‘except Israel’ travel ban on passports

Bangladesh has reinstated the words “valid for all countries except Israel” on its passport, officially banning its citizens from traveling to the country.

The move reverses a 2021 decision by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which had removed the restriction, though officials at the time maintained that the country’s stance on Israel remained unchanged.

Local media confirmed the decision on Sunday, amid mass anti-Israel protests across the Muslim-majority country condemning the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

For decades, Bangladeshi passports carried the phrase “valid for all countries except Israel,” reflecting the country’s longstanding refusal to recognise Israel.

Read: Mass rallies across Bangladesh show solidarity with Palestinians

The phrase was quietly removed during the latter years of Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.

On Sunday, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Neelima Afroz, told the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) that the government had issued a directive last week to restore the phrase.

She added that the Director General of the Immigration and Passport Department had been instructed to take the necessary steps to implement the change.

Bangladesh’s support for Palestinian independence was evident on Saturday, when nearly 100,000 people gathered in Dhaka to demonstrate in solidarity with Gaza.