Yasir Silmy
The feeling of frustration and humiliation during the visa application process is common for many Bangladeshis. Regardless of the purpose, they often find themselves facing a lengthy and stressful procedure, despite having already made travel plans, secured tickets, and set aside money. Citizens from other countries in the region often have easier access to travel, receiving visa stamps on arrival or avoiding visas altogether. Our citizens face longer queues, more paperwork, and stricter questioning, leading occasionally to application refusals.
This is the sad story that our weak passport tells. When we look at global rankings, the Bangladeshi passport is often placed near the bottom, among the weakest in the world.
Recently, Bangladesh has been ranked 100th out of 106 in the global passport rankings 2025, published by the UK-based Henley & Partners in November. This ranking indicates that Bangladeshis now hold the 7th weakest passport in the world. A Bangladeshi passport permits visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 38 destinations, positioning the country alongside North Korea. This situation is more than a mere inconvenience for travelers; it serves as a national symbol reflecting how the world perceives us.
The strength of a passport acts as a comprehensive report card for a country. It informs foreign governments about our economy, security, the reliability of our government, and the rule of law. A weak passport indicates that the world perceives us as a high-risk nation.
Other countries hesitate to grant easy entry to Bangladeshi citizens primarily due to concerns that they may not return home. A weak passport suggests insufficient opportunities within Bangladesh, which despite recent economic improvements, still sees many citizens seeking better prospects abroad. Foreign governments fear that granting easier access could lead to a significant number of overstays and illegal immigration. This apprehension stems from the perception that the economic pressure to leave Bangladesh is greater than that faced by other nations. Consequently, each Bangladeshi visa application is scrutinised with suspicion, resulting in collective repercussions for all applicants due to the potential actions of a few individuals.
This lack of trust adversely affects our most talented and honest citizens by hindering their opportunities for foreign exposure, causing delays for business leaders in securing important deals, and restricting academics from easily attending significant international conferences.
The weaknesses associated with the passport system are limiting factors for our best talents.
The global passport ranking evaluates more than just Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It emphasises governance and security, which are vital yet challenging to quantify. A strong passport reflects trust in a country’s institutions, and a perceived weakness in a passport indicates concerns from foreign governments regarding that nation’s stability and governance.
We identified three critical factors that influence the trustworthiness of a country’s passport system. First, the importance of honesty is paramount, as passports acquired through corruption diminish international trust; other nations require assurance of the holder’s identity. Second, the necessity of political stability and effective law enforcement is evident, as ongoing political turmoil may raise concerns for foreign governments about citizen movement and international cooperation. Lastly, weak passport controls present a significant security risk, potentially leading to increased criminal activities, highlighting the need for the issuing country to enhance its security measures to align with global standards.
To improve our passport ranking, it is essential to strengthen the nation rather than merely seeking easier visa arrangements from foreign embassies, which only addresses a symptom. A comprehensive, non-political national initiative focusing on three key areas is crucial to earn global trust and adequately address the underlying issues affecting passport strength.
There must be stringent measures to prevent fraudulent passport and government document acquisition. It advocates for the adoption of advanced biometric and digital technologies to enhance the integrity of passports, ensuring they are globally recognised as secure e-passports. Additionally, it stresses the importance of taking decisive and public action against corrupt officials involved in document fraud, underscoring transparency as a fundamental principle.
Stable governance is essential for building international confidence. This requires empowering judicial and law enforcement institutions to guarantee their independence, thereby strengthening the rule of law. Political stability serves as a hallmark of a mature state, emphasising the importance of maintaining peace and preventing civil unrest.
We need to adopt strategic approaches to foreign relations amid internal reforms. It suggests prioritising visa negotiations with countries that pose minimal overstaying risks while offering high trade potential. Furthermore, it advocates for utilising economic strength as a negotiating tool to improve global mobility for citizens, reflecting that economic prosperity should enhance citizens’ opportunities abroad.
After all, a strong passport symbolises a nation’s commitment to its citizens as responsible individuals who honour the laws of foreign countries and return home. The current weakness of our passport reveals underlying issues in governance, stability, and trust in Bangladesh. This situation demands collective action from the government, politicians, and citizens, emphasising that the solution is not found in foreign embassies, but within the nation itself. To enhance our global standing and passport strength, we must strive for economic resilience, political stability, and institutional integrity. Only through these efforts can we hope for a passport that represents national pride rather than inadequacy.
The writer is a Chairman-in-Charge, Journalism and Media Studies, BGC Trust University Bangladesh
