Bangladesh passports crisis mirrors broader erosion of civic values: Report

Dhaka, Oct 21 (IANS) Bangladesh’s passport credibility crisis reflects a wider decline in civic values, with corruption, deceit, and short-term opportunism becoming normalised within society and spilling beyond borders, a report said on Tuesday.

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, released in October 2025, Bangladesh has fallen to the 100th position -- its lowest ranking in years -- sharing the spot with a country like North Korea, long known for its isolation.

“Across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, stories of visa overstay, illegal migration, and forged documents involving Bangladeshis have become recurring headlines. Nations that once welcomed Bangladeshi travellers are now tightening entry conditions. Vietnam, for instance, halted visa issuance for Bangladeshis in early 2025 after a surge in cases of overstaying and illegal employment,” a report in Bangladeshi newspaper Dhaka Tribune detailed.

“Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have imposed new scrutiny measures, while the United Arab Emirates quietly suspended most visa categories for Bangladeshis last year. Each such policy action, however isolated it seems, collectively erodes the global trust that determines a passport’s strength,” it added.

The report stressed that what is even more alarming is that the problem is no longer only bureaucratic or procedural -- it is psychological. It said, every time a Bangladeshi passport holder stands at an airport immigration counter, they carry the weight of global suspicion.

“Yet, to attribute the crisis entirely to individual behaviour would be simplistic. The issue is structural. Bangladesh’s passport weakness reflects deeper fractures in governance, diplomacy, and domestic opportunity,” the report asserted.

“A country where unemployment remains chronically high and job creation is stagnant naturally drives its youth to seek opportunities abroad. When legal pathways narrow or become too costly, irregular migration becomes a desperate alternative. Every overloaded boat on the Mediterranean or undocumented workers abroad becomes another nail in the coffin of the Bangladeshi passport’s credibility,” it stated.

The report emphasised that acceptance in the global stage cannot be manufactured through glossy cover designs or diplomatic slogans; it must be achieved through consistent governance, transparency, and international goodwill.

“Foreign governments do not just evaluate paperwork; they evaluate a nation’s behaviour. The cumulative consequence of fraudulent migration, fake documents, and false promises in foreign employment has turned Bangladesh’s passport into a symbol of uncertainty,” it noted.

--IANS

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