Bangladeshi passport

The passport of Bangladesh is an ICAO compliant, machine readable and biometric e-passport issued for the purpose of travel to foreign countries by the passport holder. Bangladesh is the first country in South Asia to issue e-passports for all eligible citizens. The passport booklet is manufactured, printed and issued by the Department of Immigration and Passports of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This electronic microprocessor chip embedded e-passport has forty-one different security features, including holographic images embossed in thin film laminate, which change colour under light and appear to move.[6] Demographic and biometric information of the e-passport holder, such as the fingerprints of all ten fingers, iris scan, color photograph of the face and digital signature are stored on the chip in the e-passport.[7] Depending on the age of the applicant, the e-passport is valid for either five years or ten years and it is distributed by the Government of The People's Republic of Bangladesh, or by any of its overseas diplomatic missions, to eligible Bangladeshi nationals who are citizens by birth, by descent or through naturalization.[8]

Bangladesh passport
বাংলাদেশ পাসপোর্ট
The Bangladesh e-passport
TypePassport
Issued by Bangladesh
Department of Immigration & Passports
First issued
  • 8 February 1973 (Traditional Passport)[1]
  • 1 April 2010 (Machine Readable Passport)[2]
  • 22 January 2020 (E-Passport)[3]
PurposeIdentification
Valid inAll countries except Israel
EligibilityBangladeshi citizenship
Expiration
  • 10 years for those aged 18 to 55 years
  • 5 years for those aged under 18 or aged over 55 years
Cost

The Government of Bangladesh issues three different types of passports. These are Diplomatic passports with a red cover; Official passports with a blue cover; and regular or ordinary passports with a green cover. The cover of the passport is made of a tear proof textile material that is chemical, sweat, damp and heat resistant. Diplomatic passports are only issued to diplomats of Bangladesh. Official passports are only issued to Bangladesh government employees, government officials and envoys. Regular or ordinary passports are issued to the rest of the citizens of Bangladesh. The entire passport is made of environment-friendly materials. It is aesthetically designed with all the blank visa pages of the passport covered in images of important historical landmarks and buildings of Bangladesh, as well as popular Bangladeshi tourist attractions, with their names written in both Bengali and English. Page numbers of the passport are also bilingual – written both in Bengali and in English.

History

After the Bangladesh Liberation War, Act Number 9 of 1973 (called The Bangladesh Passport Order, 1973) which was signed into law by the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, on 8 February 1973, lead to the creation and issuing of the first passport of newly independent Bangladesh.[1] These passport booklets were traditional, handwritten or manual, passports and were compliant with the relevant international laws and regulations in force at the time. Subsequently, additional laws were enacted in the years that followed to improve the passport application process; enforce the ineligibility to hold multiple valid Bangladeshi passports; citizenship requirement for passport; etc.

Biographical data page of Bangladesh e-passport

Prior to the e-passport and the machine-readable passport, the Department of Immigration & Passports of the Government of Bangladesh used to issue traditional handwritten or manual passports. In 2010, the Government of Bangladesh announced a plan to replace over 6.6 million handwritten passports with new biometric machine-readable passports.[9] Following the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Bangladesh government started issuing machine-readable passports (MRP) and machine-readable visas (MRV) in April 2010. However, all traditional handwritten passports were honored as bona fide Bangladesh government issued travel documents until their expiration date. All traditional handwritten passports were successfully withdrawn from circulation before ICAO's international deadline of November 2015.

In 2016, the Government of Bangladesh announced its plans to issue e-passports, which the then Home Minister hoped would ease immigration, travel and visa procedures for Bangladesh passport holders.[10] The new Bangladeshi e-passport is provided in collaboration with a German company along with fifty e-gates at all major ports of entry.[11] Machine-readable passports are being phased out gradually. E-passports will completely replace all machine-readable passports. However, all machine-readable passports are bona fide and valid travel documents until the expiry date written in them.

Bangladesh has taken another significant step in its digital transformation with the much-anticipated launch of electronic passports or e-passports. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the distribution of e-passports at an event in the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Wednesday, 22 January 2020.[3]

Types of passports

The Government of Bangladesh issues three different types of passports. These are Diplomatic, Official and regular or ordinary passports.

  •      Ordinary passport (সাধারণ পাসপোর্ট, green cover) is issued to ordinary regular citizens of Bangladesh for international travel, such as for vacation, study, business trips, etc.
  •      Official passport (সরকারী পাসপোর্ট, blue cover) is issued to Bangladesh government employees, government officials and individuals representing the Bangladeshi government on official business.
  •      Diplomatic passport (কূটনৈতিক পাসপোর্ট, red cover) is issued to Bangladeshi diplomats, top ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers.
  •      Special passport (স্পেশাল পাসপোর্ট, Maroon cover), also known as Bangladesh-India Special passport, was issued to Bangladeshi citizens, which was valid for travelling to India only. This passport issuance had stopped in 2013.

Bangladeshi passports issued since July 2019 are bio-metric and machine readable e-passports.[8]

Passport fees

E-passport fees in Bangladeshi taka, excluding tax, are as follows:

Booklet TypeValidityDelivery Type
RegularUrgentEmergency
48 Pages5 YearsTk 3,500Tk 5,500Tk 7,500
10 YearsTk 5,000Tk 7,000Tk 9,000
64 Pages5 YearsTk 5,500Tk 7,500Tk 10,500
10 YearsTk 7,000Tk 9,000Tk 12,000

Emergency delivery is only available for passport reissue applicants. 15% VAT is applicable on all fees.[12][5] Unlike traditional handwritten or manual passports, e-passports and machine-readable passports are not renewed. Instead, the old passport is cancelled and a new passport is issued in its place. This procedure is called "reissue" by the Department of Immigration and Passports.

Machine Readable Passport (MRP) fees in Bangladeshi taka, excluding tax, are as follows:

Type of applicationDelivery TypeFee
New application or relinquished hand written passportExpressTk 6,000
RegularTk 3,000
NOC certificate holder (gets express delivery facility)Tk 3,000
GO certificate holders seeking treatment, Hajj or pilgrimage (get express delivery facility)Tk 3,000
GO certificate holders for official purpose (get express delivery facility)Free
Passport renewal (reissue)Express (except NOC or GO holders)Tk 6,000
RegularTk 3,000

15% VAT is applicable on all fees.[13] For the renewal (reissue) of an expired passport, an annual fine of Tk 345 (tax included) is applicable for each year after expiry. Passport fees can be paid in cash at any of the following banks in Bangladesh:

  1. Bank Asia
  2. Dhaka Bank
  3. One Bank Limited
  4. Premier Bank Limited
  5. Sonali Bank
  6. Trust Bank

The fees can be paid online as well, using a credit card, debit card or a mobile phone. Bangladeshi mobile financial services such as bKash or DBBL Nexus (Rocket) can also be used to make payments for passport fees, especially e-passport fees.[5]

Physical appearance

Bangladeshi passport covers are dark green, with the Seal of the Government of Bangladesh emblazoned in golden color in the centre of the front cover. The word "পাসপোর্ট" (Bengali) and "Passport" (English) are inscribed above the Seal. Below the Seal "গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ" (Bengali); "People's Republic of Bangladesh" (English); and the international e-passport symbol () are inscribed. The standard Bangladesh passport contains 48 pages, however frequent travellers can opt for a passport containing 64 pages.[14]  

Inside cover of the e-passport of Bangladesh.

Passport note

The inside cover contains the date and place of issuance of the passport as well as the declaration of the President, addressing the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated as per international norms. The note inside of the Bangladeshi passports states:

In Bengali (Bangla):

গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি পক্ষে সংশ্লিষ্ট সকলকে অনুরোধ করা যাচ্ছে. যে এর বাহককে বিনা প্রতিবন্ধকতায় গমনাগমনের অনুমতি এবং তার প্রয়োজনে সকল প্রকার আইনসম্মত সহায়তা ও নিরাপত্তা প্রদান করা হোক |
In English:

These are to request on behalf of the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without delay for hindrance and in case of need to afford him/her every lawful assistance and protection.

Bangladesh e-passport visa page with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Mausoleum as the background.

Languages

The text of Bangladeshi passports is printed in both Bangla and English. However, the old hand written passports were written in Bangla, English & French language.

Passport holder identity

Information about the passport holder are spread in bio page and in page one (1) of Bangladesh e-passport. The field names (e.g. name) are written in Bengali (Bangla) and English, with the field values is written in English only. Information regarding faith or occupation is not printed.

The inside cover of a Bangladeshi e-passport has an embossed image of the National Martyrs Mausoleum, with Amar Shonar Bangla, the national anthem of Bangladesh, written in Bengali.

The pre-first page is a chip enabled plastic card contains the President's declaration, in Bengali and English, and states that the passport is valid for all the countries in the world except Israel.

The back of the pre-first page is the main data page. It contains all information printed. The information printed includes:

  • Photo of bearer (বাহক এর ছবি)
  • Passport type (শ্রেণী)
  • Country code (দেশ কোড)
  • Passport no. (পাসপোর্ট নং)
  • Surname (বংশগত নাম)
  • Given Name (প্রদত্ত নাম)
  • Nationality (জাতীয়তা)
  • Personal no. (national identification number or birth certificate number) (ব্যক্তিগত নং)
  • Date of birth (জন্ম তারিখ)
  • Previous passport no. (পূর্ববর্তী পাসপোর্ট নং)
  • Sex (লিঙ্গ)
  • Place of birth (জন্মস্থান)
  • Date of issue (প্রদানের তারিখ)
  • Issuing authority (প্রদানকারী কর্তৃপক্ষ)
  • Date of expiry (মেয়াদোত্তীর্ণের তারিখ)
  • Holder's signature (স্বাক্ষর)

More information regarding the passport holder is encoded using optical character recognition and can only be read by a particular machine.[15]

The first page contains some more information (e.g. Parent, spouse's name, emergency contact name and number etc.in English only.

It also contains the passport number printed on the page.

This page contains following information on the bearer:

  • Name (নাম)
  • Father's name (পিতার নাম)
  • Mother's name (মাতার নাম)
  • Spouse's name (স্বামী বা স্ত্রী এর নাম)
  • Permanent address (স্থায়ী ঠিকানা)
  • Emergency contact (জরুরী যোগাযোগ)
    • Name (নাম)
    • Relationship (সম্পর্ক)
    • Address (ঠিকানা)
    • Telephone no. (টেলিফোন নং)

All information is printed in English using a dot matrix printer and, in case of MRP, it is then signed by the appropriate officer of the issuing authority. In the newly issued e-passport it is laser printed and authenticated with a QR code.

The inside back of the passport contains an embossed image of the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban, National Parliament of Bangladesh, with a quotation of Louis I Kahn, the architect of the complex, in English.

Visa requirements
Main article: Visa requirements for Bangladeshi citizens

As of 22 May 2018, Bangladeshi citizens who hold regular or ordinary Bangladeshi passports have visa free or visa on arrival access to 41 countries and territories, ranking the Bangladeshi passport 94th in terms of travel freedom (tied with passports from Lebanon, Libya and South Sudan) according to the Henley Passport Index.[16] Bangladeshi citizens who hold Diplomatic passports and/or Official passports of Bangladesh have visa free or visa on arrival access to many more countries.[17] The passport is valid for travel to all countries of the world except Israel, with which there are no diplomatic relations as yet. Earlier, Bangladeshi passports were also not valid to travel to Taiwan, Rhodesia and South Africa but that has long changed.

  • Traditional handwritten Bangladeshi passport, issuing ended in 2010
  • Machine Readable Passport of Bangladesh issued since 2010
  • Old machine-readable passport visa page with immigration stamps and, in the background, Paharpur Monastery – a centuries old UNESCO World Heritage Site

See also

References
  1. "The Bangladesh Passport Order, 1973 (President's Order)". Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Government of Bangladesh. 8 February 1973.
  2. "MRP applications from Apr 1". BdNews24.com. 29 March 2010. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020.
  3. "E-passport era begins in Bangladesh". BdNews24.com. 22 January 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020.
  4. "Application guide" (PDF). passport.gov.bd.
  5. "E‑Passport Fees". www.epassport.gov.bd. Department of Immigration and Passports, Ministry of Home Affairs.
  6. "E-Passports set to be on roll in June". The Independent. 19 March 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019.
  7. Mamun, Shohel (22 June 2018). "30 million e-passports for citizens". Dhaka Tribune.
  8. "Bangladesh to roll out e-passport with 10-year validity from July". BdNews24.com. 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019.
  9. "Bangladesh Pick Passport Partners". Security Documents World. 22 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.
  10. Islam, Rozina (26 January 2016). "E-passport on the cards". Prothom Alo.
  11. "ePassports, jobs, infrastructure: Bangladesh's route to the future". Veridos. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  12. Deepak Acharjee (27 May 2019). "3 slab fees for e-passports proposed". The Independent.
  13. "ইমিগ্রেশন ও পাসপোর্ট অধিদপ্তর". Department of Immigration and Passports. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Bangladesh.
  14. "Tk 46.36b e-passport project endorsed". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  15. Urmee, Farhana (17 June 2011). "Your Passport to the World". Star Weekend Magazine. The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  16. "Global Ranking - Passport Index 2018" (PDF). Henley & Partners. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  17. "Deal with 27 more countries under process". The Independent. 16 May 2017. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019.
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