Interim Govt Restores 'Except Israel' Clause on Passports

The interim government has ordered the reinstatement of the phrase "except Israel" on Bangladeshi passports, reversing a policy change made in 2021.

In an official notice dated 7 April, the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) to take necessary steps to restore the condition. The directive, signed by Deputy Secretary Nilima Afroz, was addressed to DIP Director General Major General Md Nurul Anwar.

"In reference to the aforementioned subject, you are hereby instructed to take appropriate measures to reinstate the 'Except Israel' condition on Bangladeshi passports, following due process," the notice stated.

The move marks a return to the earlier wording on passports: "This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel."
In May 2021, the previous government had removed this phrase from e-passports to align with what it described as "international standards." A similar process had been initiated for machine-readable passports (MRPs).

Despite the phrase's removal at that time, the ban on Bangladeshi passport holders traveling to Israel remained in force. The latest directive formalizes the longstanding travel restriction once again in passport documentation.