Bangladesh drops ‘except Israel’ from passports

The Bangladeshi passport had a note written on it that said it was acceptable for travel to all countries of the world except Israel.

But a few months ago, Bangladesh dropped the words “except Israel” from the new electronic passports.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen confirmed the country’s support for the struggle of Palestinians and condemned the Israeli aggression against civilians.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said the words “except Israel” have been withdrawn from the passports for “administrative convenience”.

“This move will not affect our position . We are strong supporters of Palestine,” said Momen.

Gilad Cohen, the Israeli foreign ministry’s deputy director-general for Asia and the Pacific, said on Twitter: “Great news! #Bangladesh has removed travel ban to Israel. This is a welcome step.”

Great news! #Bangladesh has removed travel ban to Israel. This is a welcome step & I call on the Bangladeshi government to move forward and establish diplomatic ties with #Israel so both our peoples could benefit & prosper.@IsraelMFA #IsraelLooksEast https://t.co/LbOLbm9dfG

— Gilad Cohen 🇮🇱🎗️ (@GiladCohen_) May 22, 2021

The Bangladeshi foreign ministry statement, however, clarified that the removal of the observation has been done to maintain global standards.

“The ban on travel of Bangladeshi passport holders to Israel remains unchanged. The Government of Bangladesh has not deviated from its position on Israel and Bangladesh remains firm on its long-standing position in this regard,” it added.