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The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the restoration of the phrase “THIS PASSPORT IS VALID FOR ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD EXCEPT ISRAEL” on Bangladeshi passports, reaffirming the country’s long-standing policy of not recognizing Israel as a state. The phrase had been removed from passports in May 2021.
The ministry has also approved a redesigned e-passport booklet featuring new watermarks, including images of three martyrs of the July 2024 mass uprising — Abu Sayeed, Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha, and Wasim Akram. The Department of Immigration and Passports has been instructed to take the necessary steps to implement the changes.
According to a government order issued on Sunday (July 19) and signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Nuruzzaman, the existing images in the e-passport booklet will be rearranged and redesigned to incorporate the updated watermarks.
Under the new design for both 48-page and 64-page e-passports, the data page’s reverse side will remain unchanged, while the phrase “THIS PASSPORT IS VALID FOR ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD EXCEPT ISRAEL” will once again appear in the passport.
The revised watermark design includes images of the Oriental Magpie Robin (Doel), the Central Shaheed Minar, the Eternal Flame at the National Martyrs’ Memorial, and the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (National Parliament Building).
Several images previously featured in the e-passport have been removed, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s mausoleum at Tungipara, the Swadhinata Stambha at Suhrawardy Udyan, Model Mosque, Bangabandhu Bridge (Jamuna Bridge), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre, Bangabandhu Satellite, Padma Bridge, Metro Rail, boats and Cox’s Bazar sea beach, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, and the Mujibnagar Memorial in Meherpur.
As part of the redesign, a special watermark commemorating the July 2024 mass uprising has been added, featuring the images of martyrs Abu Sayeed, Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha, and Wasim Akram.
The watermark depicts Abu Sayeed standing with his arms outstretched, Mugdha holding a bottle of water in Uttara’s Azampur area, and Wasim Akram wearing a jersey bearing the national flag. These images appear under the title “July Mass Uprising 2024.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the revised design will be used in all newly issued 48-page and 64-page e-passports, and the Department of Immigration and Passports has already been directed to implement the changes.
