'Except Israel' returns to Bangladeshi e-passports; Abu Sayed, Mugdho & Wasim to appear in watermarks
In a Nutshell:
- The Home Ministry reinstated 'Except Israel' on passports on Sunday.
- The phrase was dropped in 2020 under the Awami League government.
- New e-passport watermarks feature July uprising martyrs Abu Sayeed, Mugdho and Wasim Akram.
- Symbols of all religions were added to the e-passport design.
- Images like the Padma Bridge and Bangabandhu's mausoleum were removed.
Why it Matters
Bringing back 'Except Israel' is a clear political signal, restating Bangladesh's refusal to recognise Israel and its long backing of Palestine. Putting Abu Sayeed, Mugdho and Wasim on the e-passport watermark carries the July sentiment into an official state document, turning the uprising into part of the national story people now carry abroad.
What We Think
The bigger change here is not the Israel line, which mostly restates an old position. It is the swap in imagery. Dropping the previous government's landmarks and adding three martyrs from the July uprising turns the e-passport into a record of the political shift the country has just been through. It shows the new government wants the uprising remembered as a defining national moment, printed into a document every citizen carries.
