Bangladesh reintroduces restriction on citizens visiting Israel
Bangladesh has decided to reintroduce the “except Israel” travel restriction note on its passports, once again formally banning its citizens from travelling to the country, Middle East Eye via AFP reported on April 13th.
The note, which reads “valid for all countries except Israel,” had long been seen on Bangladeshi passports but was removed in 2021 under the leadership of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, The New Arab and agencies reported on April 14th. At the time, the government insisted that its position on Israel remained unchanged despite it dropping the inscription.
Nilima Afroze, a deputy secretary at the home ministry said to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha that a directive was issued last week to bring back the note on passports. Afroze said: “The director general of the Department of Immigration and Passport was asked to take necessary measures to implement this change.”
Bangladesh, which is a Muslim-majority nation, does not recognise the state of Israel and has supported Palestinian statehood. On April 12th, this supportive stance was made visible when approximately 100,000 people gathered in the capital, Dhaka, to express solidarity with Gaza.
The restriction comes in the context of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 2023. In the 18 months since, Israel’s military campaign has killed nearly 51,000 people in Gaza, with most of them being civilians, the health ministry based in Gaza has said.
The restoration of the passport restriction highlights Bangladesh’s refusal to build relations with Israel, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza rapidly escalates.
Middle East Eye via AFP, The New Arab
