Gaza City: Bangladesh’s interim government has reinstated the phrase “except Israel” on passports, effectively banning its citizens from traveling to Israel. Under the new circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday, the phrase “This passport is valid for all countries except Israel” has been reinstated.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the decision follows a significant demonstration titled “Free Palestine” held in Dhaka, where over 100,000 people gathered to protest against the Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip. Home Ministry official Nilima Afroz informed the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency that a directive was issued last week to reintroduce this phrase on passports.
Afroz further stated that the Director General of Immigration and Passports has been instructed to take necessary steps to implement this change. The phrase “except Israel” was initially removed from Bangladeshi passports in May 2021 during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina Wajed. However, the then Hasina-led government maintained that the country’s stance towards Israel remained unchanged.
