When we traveled to Uzbekistan in March 2024, there wasn’t a single empty seat on the Delhi to Tashkent flight. Except for a handful of Uzbeks and a few Indian passengers, the flight was packed with Bangladeshi passport holders. Excluding our group of nine and another family of five from Bangladesh, the rest didn’t seem to be tourists. One of our fellow travelers piqued my curiosity, prompting me to speak with several other passengers waiting at the boarding gate of Delhi airport. Almost all of them claimed to be tourists and mentioned Uzbekistan as their destination, but none could name any place beyond Tashkent. When someone who neither looked nor talked like a tourist and didn’t even know the names of Samarkand or Bukhara claimed to be one, it was hard to believe.
Later, we discussed among ourselves that Uzbekistan — like other Central Asian, Middle Eastern, or even European destinations — would soon close its doors to Bangladeshis due to the growing number of so-called tourists who actually intend to disappear into these countries. And indeed, not just Uzbekistan, but all Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, have recently stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshis.
According to the Henley Passport Index, Bangladesh currently ranks 93rd among 99 passport-holding nations. Just a year ago, Bangladeshi passport holders could travel visa-free to 45 destinations; now that number has dropped to 38. Looking at visa accessibility, one sees that many countries that were easy to enter just two years ago have become increasingly difficult, and some are now completely closed. For context, when I first traveled to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore four decades ago, visas on arrival were available in all three countries. At Bangkok Airport, I applied for a five-day visa and received a two-week one. Fifteen years ago, I traveled to Vietnam without a visa. But two years ago, it took seven days to get a visa for my second visit. Three years ago, I received Cambodia’s e-visa within 48 hours of applying online. Recently, however, many of these tourist-friendly countries have completely stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshis.
Since August last year, India has nearly stopped issuing not only tourist visas but also medical visas, prompting many Bangladeshi travelers to turn to Thailand for vacations and medical treatment. Though tourism is a major factor of Thailand’s economy, even they have now made immigration stricter for Bangladeshis. Where once visas took seven days to process, it now takes at least 40 to 45 days, and rejections have increased significantly. In the Middle East — where a large number of Bangladeshi laborers work — stricter policies have made it harder for laborers, tourists, and even for business travelers.
The biggest blow for Bangladeshi passport holders has come from the Schengen countries. In the past year alone, visa rejection rates have risen by more than 60% compared to the previous year. In South Asia, only Pakistan faces more rejections than Bangladesh.
Investigating the causes of these widespread rejections, three main factors emerge:
First, in countries like Uzbekistan and Vietnam, many people exploit easy visa access to enter as “tourists” but do not return after their visas expire. They attempt to cross into third countries or go into hiding, surviving by doing low-paid work under fake identity. Numerous so-called travel agencies, involved in human trafficking, lure young people with promises of reaching Europe via Central Asia or getting to Singapore and Malaysia through Vietnam, Cambodia, or Thailand. After taking large sums of money, they abandon their clients in the middle of the trip. These trafficked individuals often disappear or live in inhumane conditions abroad.
Second, many young people from working class and semi-literate individuals fall victim to fraudulent agents who send them abroad on fake documents. Sometimes they even manage to clear Dhaka airport immigration with the help of corrupt networks, only to be caught abroad and deported, or left stranded in foreign lands with uncertain futures. Alarmingly, even educated tourists and students pursuing higher education abroad often sign travel agency-prepared visa forms without verifying the validity of the travel documents, misled by flashy advertisements. As a result, incorrect or invalid documentation leads to mass visa denials.
Third, many countries have become extra cautious in issuing visas due to Bangladesh's recent political instability. At a recent event, when a Chargé d'affaires from a Central Asian country was asked about the visa ban, he openly stated that the matter would be reconsidered once an elected government assumes power in Bangladesh.
Regardless of the reasons behind complete visa bans or mass rejections, this is an alarming signal for countless Bangladeshi passport holders. The fallout is already visible across sectors such as business, employment, education, and healthcare. Tourism, being heavily reliant on international mobility, is poised to suffer greatly. To reverse this trend, Bangladesh’s passport, immigration, and airport authorities must increase oversight and regulation. Additionally, dishonest travel agents and fraudulent document-producing syndicates must be dealt with strictly. Otherwise, the status of the Bangladeshi passport — already deteriorating rapidly — may fall so low that even neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, or Bhutan could end visa-on-arrival facilities in the near future, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise.
