Key points
- Bangladesh does not recognise Israel
- In 2021 the words “except Israel” were removed from passports
- 100,000 people gathered in Dhaka in solidarity with Gaza last Saturday
ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh has restored an “except Israel” inscription on passports, local media reported on Sunday, effectively barring its citizens from travelling to that country.
According to Dawn, Israel is a flashpoint issue in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which does not recognise it.
The phrase “valid for all countries except Israel,” which was printed on Bangladeshi passports for decades, was removed during the later years of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.
Restore the inscription
Nilima Afroze, a deputy secretary at the home ministry, told Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency on Sunday that authorities had “issued a directive last week” to restore the inscription.
“The director general of the department of immigration and passport was asked to take necessary measures to implement this change,” local newspaper The Daily Star quoted Afroze as saying Sunday.
According to The New Arab, in 2021, the words “except Israel” were removed from passports, although the then government under Sheikh Hasina clarified that the country’s stance on Israel had not changed.
Overwhelming support
The country’s support for an independent Palestinian state was visible on Saturday when around 100,000 people gathered in Dhaka in solidarity with Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed almost 51,000 people, mostly civilians, over the past 18 months, according to the Gaza-based health ministry.
