NEW DELHI, April 14 — In a move reflecting the growing public outcry over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, Bangladesh has reinstated the phrase “Except Israel” on its passports, reaffirming its decades-old stance against allowing its citizens to travel to the Jewish state.
The phrase — “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel” — was a longstanding feature of Bangladeshi passports but was quietly removed in 2021 with the introduction of e-passports. Despite the removal, the travel ban to Israel had remained firmly in place.
Now, amid mounting national and global anger over Israel’s military actions in Gaza, the Bangladeshi government has decided to bring back the original wording. A formal directive from the Home Ministry, issued on April 7, instructed the Department of Immigration and Passports to reintroduce the clause. The order was confirmed by Nilima Afroze, Deputy Secretary of the Security Services Division.
This decision follows a weekend of powerful demonstrations across Bangladesh. In Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan, hundreds of thousands of people gathered, waving Palestinian flags, chanting for justice, and urging the international community to act decisively against what they describe as a “genocidal war” and decades of illegal occupation by Israel.
The sentiment on the streets was raw and emotional — a blend of grief, solidarity, and outrage. Many in Bangladesh feel deeply connected to the Palestinian cause, seeing it not just as a political issue but as a moral and humanitarian crisis that demands action.
While critics may argue the passport decision is symbolic, for many Bangladeshis, it represents a clear message: that silence in the face of suffering is not an option — and that every gesture, no matter how small, matters when it comes to standing with the oppressed.
