Why the caveat on Israel in Bangladesh passport matter
PBC News: It was a controversial Israeli tweet and a few news reports published some four days ago which finally awoken our government from a pretentious sleep. These local and international media outlets have recently reported on the topic of lifting travel ban to Israel from Bangladesh passports. As much as it is disturbing, the question also arises how the issue had hit the roof in the first place.
However, while commenting on the boiling topic our foreign minister has clearly made it public that Bangladesh will remain steadfast in its position and refrain from establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. Reflecting back on the responses and explanations provided by a number of government officials, one is likely to get a different signal.
Here I must quote verbatim, what the Director General of Department of Immigration and Passport commented on the issue. He said – “Bangladesh has dropped the two words, “except Israel”, from the passport as per government decision to maintain international standard. It has no link with the country’s diplomatic relations with any other country.”
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Since its inception as an independent and sovereign country, Bangladesh government included this caveat in our travel document by taking a clear stance on the Zionist State, established on occupied Palestine territory. What we often miss to see is that it is the number one symbol of our solidarity, with the People of Palestine sealed in our passports.
Since a 10 year old to up until now, I have practically grown up with the travel ban on Israel stamped and printed in all my passports. If not mistaken, there were two more caveats in the past, one on South Africa and the other on North Korea. However, how this travel ban conflicts with maintaining ‘International Standard’ appears a big mystery to me. That said – what are the benchmarks of a passport that follows ‘International standard’? Has the Bangladesh Passport, so far, fallen short of meeting preconditions of ‘International Standard in the past 50 years?
I have no clue to the answers, and I am neither a diplomat nor an immigration expert. I am, however, well aware that according to the Henley Index our passport either jumped or went down by a notch in the past three years. In terms of passport power rank, we are on the 71st position in the world. At the same time, 2021 latest Henley Index has placed us on 100th position just last month. This ranking method is no less confusing for a commoner, but at least the Henley Index follows a list of fixed measures.
Focusing back on the caveat issue, am I to assume that the travel ban on Israel is anyhow downgrading our passport ranking? Travel Ban on Israel existed from our manual to MRP passports for 50 years, and why the ban all of a sudden removed from the new E- Passports? The German firm concerned has been reported to have made a mistake by excluding the travel ban, but how could our immigration authorities remain silent?
