Passport certifies the identity and nationality of its bearer by the government for any international travel whereas the visa is a permit issued by a country to a foreigner to enter and stay in the country for a certain period. All rules and regulations depend on the country of the passport holder. Sometimes this rule is very strict, in some cases, it is very relaxed. This feature will focus on the list of countries where Bangladeshi passport holders can go without a visa.
Visa-free countries for Bangladeshi passport holders
According to data from the International Air Transport Authority, the Henley Passport Index publishes a ranking of countries around the world by verifying the visa process of 199 passports at 227 destinations every year. As per its 2021 edition, Bangladesh's ranking is 108, which is 10 points lower than last year.
In this ranking, Bangladeshi valid passport holders will be able to travel to 40 countries without a visa. Among them, 19 countries have on-arrival visas, meaning visas can be obtained by applying just before entering the destination country. Electronic visas will be available only when entering Sri Lanka. Moreover, Bangladeshi citizens don’t have to go through any visa-related activities in the case of the remaining 20 countries.
Also read: How to Get E-Passport in Bangladesh: Things you need to know
19 countries with on-arrival visas
Africa (13)
Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, Uganda, Cape Verde Islands, Comoros Islands, and Guinea-Bissau
Asia (3)
Maldives, Nepal, and Timor-Leste
USA (1)
Bolivia
Oceania (2)
Samoa and Tuvalu
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20 countries without any visa activities
Africa (2)
Gambia and Lesotho
Asia (2)
Bhutan and Indonesia
Caribbean (11)
Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, Haiti, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Oceania(5)
Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, and Niue.
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Overall free-Visa status of Bangladeshi passport
Considering the state of Bangladesh's passports over the past two decades, a retrospective view emerges. Bangladeshi passport holders on free visas had the highest number of travel opportunities in 2010 and 2014. In that period, a Bangladeshi passport holder could have traveled to a total of 42 countries in the world without a visa.
In 2006, Bangladesh's position was the highest; 68th. However, at that time the number of destinations calculated in the Henley Passport Index was much lower than it is now (227). Bangladeshi passport holders had visa-free permits in 28 countries.
From 2009 to 2021, the minimum number of visa-free countries for Bangladesh was 38 and the year was 2017. In other years, the number has risen from 39 to 41. The number of 2019 (40) has come back again this year.
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Final word
According to the data of the International Air Transport Authority, Bangladesh's passport is constantly stepping backward in terms of ranking. However, a few years showed some improvements. From 2012 to 2013, it went from 93rd to 85th place. Ranking from 99 to 95 for three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017. The statistics from 2018 to 2020 are also the same which went from 100 to 98. But the record of 108th place in 2021 has faded from the slowly rising level in the last six years.