Bangladesh Reinstates Except Israel Travel Restriction on Passports

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Bangladesh is reinstating the phrase “Except Israel” on its passports, reversing a decision made six years ago by the Awami League government. The move by the newly elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) administration aligns the nation’s travel documents with its long-standing foreign policy, public opinion, and stance on the Palestinian issue, according to officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The initiative follows an earlier attempt by the interim government last year, which, on April 7, had also instructed the Director General of the Passport Department to restore the “Except Israel” clause. However, that decision was largely confined to diplomatic passports and was not widely implemented across all travel documents. The current government is now moving to apply this change to all types of passports.

After the BNP government assumed office on February 17 following the 13th parliamentary elections, it initiated a review of several passport features. The Ministry of Home Affairs has held multiple meetings in April and early May, with the changes reportedly receiving approval from the highest levels of government.

The “Except Israel” clause was removed in 2020 during the Awami League’s tenure, coinciding with the launch of the 4.5 billion taka electronic passport (e-passport) service. Prior to that, Bangladeshi passports explicitly stated: “This passport is valid for all countries of the world, except Israel.” Since its removal, various segments of society have called for the reinstatement of the phrase on e-passports.

Immigration and Passport Department officials have confirmed that the “Except Israel” phrase will be progressively incorporated into new passports as per the directive. Existing passport holders will not face immediate complications, with the new version of the passport being issued upon renewal.

In addition to the “Except Israel” reinstatement, the government is also overhauling the watermarks featured on each page of the e-passport. Currently, these include images of various historical structures. The new design will remove images depicting specific individuals, historical sites named after individuals, and institutions.

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Sources within the Ministry of Home Affairs indicate that images being removed include Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi 32, his mausoleum in Gopalganj, the Independence Monument at Suhrawardy Udyan, model mosques, the Bangabandhu Bridge (Jamuna Bridge), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre, Bangabandhu Satellite, Padma Bridge, Metro Rail, the boat symbol alongside Cox’s Bazar sea beach, Roopnagar Nuclear Power Plant, Kantajew Temple in Dinajpur, and the Mujibnagar Government Memorial in Meherpur.

New images to be introduced include a photograph of Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University, standing with outstretched arms during the July mass uprising in Rangpur. Other additions feature the historic Bangabhaban, the geographical indicator (GI) Jamdani saree, the national fruit jackfruit, the national fish hilsa, Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj, Cox’s Bazar sea beach (without the boat), Madhabkunda waterfall in Moulvibazar, Dhaka’s historic Ahsan Manzil, Shalban Vihara in Cumilla, Nilgiri Mountain in Bandarban, mango orchards in Rajshahi, the National Memorial in Savar, and the historic Panam Nagar in Sonargaon, Narayanganj.

Images that will remain include the national flower water lily, the Bengal tiger, the national bird Oriental magpie-robin, Shahid Minar, the Supreme Court, Shikha Anirban at Suhrawardy Udyan, Lalbagh Fort, Hatirjheel, Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Curzon Hall, Sixty Dome Mosque, golden fiber jute, tea gardens, the Sundarbans, and Zainul Abedin’s painting “Struggle.”

Home Secretary Manjur Morshed Chowdhury confirmed to Prothom Alo on Wednesday afternoon that several watermarks within the passports are being removed and new images added. He anticipates receiving government chief approval for these changes soon.

Observers suggest that by reinstating the “Except Israel” clause and altering the watermarks, the new government is embarking on a symbolic realignment of national identity elements on state travel documents.