Bangladesh's continuous progress in the world's strongest passport index is a positive development. According to the index published by Henley & Partners, a UK-based organisation, Bangladesh is ranked 97th this year. This marks an improvement from the 98th position last year and 104th the year before.
On the other hand, according to the Ayrton Capital index, a Canadian company, the United Arab Emirates holds the strongest passport in the world in 2024. In this index, Bangladesh has advanced two positions to the 90th position.
According to the Henley & Partners report, Bangladeshi passport holders can now travel to 42 countries around the world without an advance visa. This shows an increase from the 40 countries accessible without a visa last year. Notably, in the previous index, both Bangladesh and North Korea shared the same position. This time, too, the index of North Korea is equal to that of Bangladesh.
The countries with the strongest passports in the 2024 index include France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain. Passport holders from these nations can travel to 194 countries without an advance visa. Singapore, which topped last year's index, is now joined by Finland, South Korea, and Sweden in the leading position, with their passport holders able to travel to 193 countries without an advance visa.
According to a report by Henley & Partners, Sri Lanka ranks 96th, just ahead of Bangladesh in the passport index. Following closely at the 98th position are Nepal, Libya, and Palestine. India holds the 80th position, with its passport holders able to travel to 62 countries without an advance visa. However, Bangladesh outranks Pakistan, which is positioned at 101st place. Despite this, being ahead of Pakistan might not be seen as a sufficient sign of progress.
The strength of a passport in this index is determined by the number of countries that can be visited without an advance visa or with visa-free facilities. Currently, Bangladeshi passport holders can travel to 19 countries without a visa, have on-arrival visa facilities for 31 countries, and require an advance visa for 148 countries.
As Bangladesh is transitioning from being a least developed country to a developing country, questions arise as to why it lags behind in terms of passport strength.
The strength of a passport is often measured by the number of countries its holder can travel to without requiring an advance visa. Unfortunately, Bangladesh's progress in this regard has been slow.
A group of unscrupulous travel agents, colluding with corrupt officials from the passport office, engage in the production of passports with fake names and addresses. This has become a significant issue, as many Rohingya men and women have been granted Bangladeshi passports through this illicit process. Some individuals have been apprehended abroad, leading to forced returns.
It is crucial for authorities to be exceptionally vigilant to ensure that individuals who are not citizens of Bangladesh do not obtain Bangladeshi passports through any means.
While modern technology has significantly reduced the prevalence of fake passports, the problem of passports with false names and addresses persists. Though law enforcement actions have led to some reduction, strict measures should be implemented against those tarnishing the country's image for their personal interests.
Passport strength is closely tied to economic capability. Economically stronger countries tend to have more robust passports. Consequently, enhancing the quality of passports is intrinsically linked to increasing economic capacity.