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Sunday | 26 January 2025 | Epaper

Why the caveat on Israel in Bangladesh passport matter

Published : Wednesday, 26 May, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1403
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."

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?

What also many fails to grasp, how and why the topic was brought into light at a sensitive time as now - just in the wake of a horrific bombing campaign ending in a cease fire between Israel and Hamas. Surely the Israelis were the first to express their jubilation, considering the lifting of ban to be a positive sign to end a non-existent diplomatic relation with Bangladesh, but this writer considers the Jewish-jubilation differently.

It is not an attempt to re-define diplomacy, but any type of diplomacy has a start point. The point opens up when a formal channel of communication is established - and a travel ban aims to close that formal channel - so to prevent unwarranted communication through travelling. Expectantly the travel ban to Israel remains in its place, or else, intended travelling of citizens of the two countries would potentially open up secret and open venues of dialogue, aiming to establish diplomatic ties.

Not to forget - the Arab countries those have recently set up ties with Israel is the undeserving outcome of endless secret meetings, underhand dealings held in numerous Arab and non-Arab venues. Therefore, value of a printed or a sealed travel ban is extremely important to ensure prohibition of entry in a specified foreign country. It is not impossible to produce firsthand photographic evidences, how a number of Bangladeshis have met a number of Israeli political leaders in neutral venues.

Whatever, I rarely go by my intuition when penning an opinion, but regarding the Israel-caveat controversy, erupting at a critical time as now, I believe an international conspiracy must have been hatched to remove the travel ban.

There are well over a dozen Muslim countries with a clearly printed travel ban on Israel on their passports as us including their E - Passports, but why has it happened with our passport? It hadn't happen on a whim for some so-called 'technical reason' or 'misunderstanding' between a client country and a service provider company. There was definitely a syndicate consisting of local and international people involved.   

To finish with, I sincerely believe the government has no plan to set up diplomatic ties with Israel, but for the past 50 years the travel ban on our passports acted as a strong deterrent, keeping all options of travelling and communications with Israel to off-limits.
It must remain in its place, and it is not a herculean task to stamp the new passports without the ban any time sooner or later. When our passengers are travelling abroad, the immigration officer is enough to do the job. The most I can do is provide our airports with needed rubber-stamps and ink pads on the travel ban, don't ask for funds. We know where are funds are going.
The writer is assistant editor,
The Daily Observer





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