Bangladesh lifts restriction on travel to Israel, drops ‘except Israel’ from passports amidst Israel-Palestine conflict

[batmannow]

Palestinian ambassador: Omitting ‘except Israel’ from Bangladeshi passport unacceptable

Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan

• Published at 10:19 pm May 23rd, 2021

Palestine Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef Saleh Y Ramadan addresses a press briefing in Dhaka Collected

The ambassador says he plans to meet the home minister and ambassador-at-large for clarification

The omission of the words “except Israel” from Bangladeshi passport is unacceptable, Palestinian Ambassador in Dhaka Yousef SY Ramadan has said, dismissing the notion that the action is necessary to meet the global standard.

He also said that he had requested meetings with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin for a clarification on the issue.

“I’m aware of the development. Every country has the sovereign right to take decision on passport or any other issues. Having admitted that, I would say this decision is unacceptable to us,” Yousef SY Ramadan, the ambassador of State of Palestine in Bangladesh, told Dhaka Tribune on Sunday night.

Also Read - Bangladesh drops 'except Israel' from passport, but keeps ban on travel

“The decision of the government of Bangladesh has come days after the latest Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians and I don’t think it is in line with the principles Bangladesh pursues when it comes to the Palestinians,” he said.

When reminded of the government’s position that it had been done to meet the international standard, the envoy dismissed outright, posing a couple of questions: “Are you saying that Bangladeshi passport did not maintain the international standard in last 50 years? Are the countries like Indonesia and Malaysia which still keeps the provision on their passports not meeting the global standard?”

“I have requested meetings with the home minister and the ambassador-at-large for the clarification. Let’s see what they have to say,” he said.

Also Read - Momen: No change in Bangladesh's position on Israel

Ambassador Ramadan was full of praise for the people of Bangladesh for their unwavering support for the Palestinians all the time, especially during the crises including the recent one.

“We are so grateful to our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters for their strong support for the causes of the Palestinians. During the latest episode of Israeli atrocities against our people we have experienced the level of compassion of the Bangladeshis for the Palestinians,” he said.

“Many people braved the pandemic and lockdown to come to our embassy to show their support and donate money. We simply cannot ask for more,” he added.

Palestinian ambassador: Omitting ‘except Israel’ from Bangladeshi passport unacceptable

The ambassador says he plans to meet the home minister and ambassador-at-large for clarification

www.dhakatribune.com

As I said before, just hang on, BD flags will be put under shoes everywhere around the world no matter these kids keep trying to justify hasinas wet dreams to become Japan while being a tool of Zionists and become among them!
As a muslim, I think BD is heading towards a dangerous, future as its govt clearly is siding towards the nation which was clearly told not be allies with!
If Pakistan has done the same, it will be shammed same way as today to BD.
for BD Muslims, you need to stand up do peace full protests and let your voice heard, if you keep quite you all be involved in that great sin!
Don't tell others, that this decision was done for getting economic progress, you were doing well with out but if your govt goes to this dangerous road then later on you won't have any chance to get back where u stand today!
Islam , Quran, allaha Hadith, are the real guide for us, whatever is written is true either you like it or not!

Palestinian ambassador: Omitting ‘except Israel’ from Bangladeshi passport unacceptable

Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan

• Published at 10:19 pm May 23rd, 2021

Palestine Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef Saleh Y Ramadan addresses a press briefing in Dhaka Collected

The ambassador says he plans to meet the home minister and ambassador-at-large for clarification

The omission of the words “except Israel” from Bangladeshi passport is unacceptable, Palestinian Ambassador in Dhaka Yousef SY Ramadan has said, dismissing the notion that the action is necessary to meet the global standard.

He also said that he had requested meetings with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin for a clarification on the issue.

“I’m aware of the development. Every country has the sovereign right to take decision on passport or any other issues. Having admitted that, I would say this decision is unacceptable to us,” Yousef SY Ramadan, the ambassador of State of Palestine in Bangladesh, told Dhaka Tribune on Sunday night.

Also Read - Bangladesh drops 'except Israel' from passport, but keeps ban on travel

“The decision of the government of Bangladesh has come days after the latest Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians and I don’t think it is in line with the principles Bangladesh pursues when it comes to the Palestinians,” he said.

When reminded of the government’s position that it had been done to meet the international standard, the envoy dismissed outright, posing a couple of questions: “Are you saying that Bangladeshi passport did not maintain the international standard in last 50 years? Are the countries like Indonesia and Malaysia which still keeps the provision on their passports not meeting the global standard?”

“I have requested meetings with the home minister and the ambassador-at-large for the clarification. Let’s see what they have to say,” he said.

Also Read - Momen: No change in Bangladesh's position on Israel

Ambassador Ramadan was full of praise for the people of Bangladesh for their unwavering support for the Palestinians all the time, especially during the crises including the recent one.

“We are so grateful to our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters for their strong support for the causes of the Palestinians. During the latest episode of Israeli atrocities against our people we have experienced the level of compassion of the Bangladeshis for the Palestinians,” he said.

“Many people braved the pandemic and lockdown to come to our embassy to show their support and donate money. We simply cannot ask for more,” he added.

Palestinian ambassador: Omitting ‘except Israel’ from Bangladeshi passport unacceptable

The ambassador says he plans to meet the home minister and ambassador-at-large for clarification

www.dhakatribune.com

For hasina, it's life and death situation to become, a servant of zionists as she thinks they will make her and BD most powerful nation in subcontinent !

 

[EasyNow]

Muslims accepted all other countries because they aren't a Zionist state like Israel! Zionists and it's supporters all of them are Dajals followers

Give it a rest. Are Palestinians the only Muslims in your world? You've provided dozens of Ayat for how Muslims should not side against enemy etc. So why are you officially involved in selling weapons to Muslim killers in Myanmar

Why are you high as mountain friends with Muslim oppressors?

BUT did you notice any Bangladeshi call Pakistan a slave murtad for that, no because we understand realpolitik. So sort your own mind out.


The Pakistani of 2021 is so full of inconsistencies, hypocrisy and double standards it's become a joke.

 

[DalalErMaNodi]

Give it a rest. Are Palestinians the only Muslims in your world? You've provided dozens of Ayat for how Muslims should not side against enemy etc. So why are you officially involved in selling weapons to Muslim killers in Myanmar

Why are you high as mountain friends with Muslim oppressors?

BUT did you notice any Bangladeshi call Pakistan a slave murtad for that, no because we understand realpolitik. So sort your own mind out.


The Pakistani of 2021 is so full of inconsistencies, hypocrisy and double standards it's become a joke.

It was always a joke.

 

[bluesky]

Earlier, Deputy Director General for Asia and the Pacific at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gilad Cohen tweeted saying Bangladesh has removed travel ban to Israel.

"Great news! Bangladesh has removed travel ban to Israel. This is a welcome step and I call on the Bangladeshi government to move forward and establish diplomatic ties with Israel so both our peoples could benefit and prosper," he tweeted.

What Great news! Vacate Palestine lands and make peace with them, and talk of diplomatic relationship.

 

[24 Hours]

It's the least the government can do after buying Israeli spy equipment.

 

[bluesky]

It's the least the government can do after buying Israeli spy equipment.

Yes, you may be right. Read below the Al Jazeera news:

Bangladesh bought spyware from Israeli surveillance company

Israeli-made spying tools bought for Bangladesh intelligence service, despite the Asian country not recognising Israel.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Black_cats]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=168815915180960

 

[Black_cats]

BNP slams govt over Israel issue
UNB

• Published at 10:11 pm May 23rd, 2021

File photo of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Dhaka Tribune

Israel is a threat not only to the Middle East but also to the entire world, says BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam

Stating that Israel is a threat to the entire world, BNP on Sunday questioned as to why the Awami League government is trying to develop a relationship with that country by removing the words "except Israel" in the new passport.

“The Home Ministry has decided to remove the word ‘except Israel’ from the new passport. There’s a consensus among our people that Israel is our enemy as they’ve destroyed human rights,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir while speaking at a press conference at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office.

He said: “Israel is a threat not only to the Middle East but also to the entire world. Why’s the Bangladesh government going to build a loving relationship with Israel?"

Also Read - Israel calls on Bangladesh to forge diplomatic ties

Fakhrul said there is a correlation between the government’s move to remove the word “expect Israel” from the passport and Al Jazeera's report that Bangladesh bought a surveillance device or spying equipment originally made by Israel.

“That’s why there’s a fear among the people of the country whether the government is going to make such an agreement again with Israel or whether it's going to do something else. We all know Israel is the best in the world in terms of intelligence,” Fakhrul said.

He said people are observing with deep concern the government’s new move regarding Israel.
About BNP’s position on Israel, he said: “We would like to make it clear BNP has no link with Israel. We’ve an anti-Israel stance. “We’ve always been against Israel. We’re still in the same position.”

Also Read - PM Hasina denounces attack on Al Aqsa mosque
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said there has been no change in Bangladesh's position towards Israel as it still does not recognize Israel.

Talking to UNB, he also said removing the words like valid for travelling “except Israel” in the new passport does not mean that there has been a change in Bangladesh’s position.

Fakhrul alleged that the government has been running the country depending on bureaucracy as it has lost ground beneath its feet for lack of public support.

He also said the government is now letting loose detectives against journalists and creating obstacles to publishing many reports by giving various instructions.

Also Read - Bangladesh drops 'except Israel' from passport, but keeps ban on travel
No change in Khaleda’s condition

Fakhrul said he briefed journalists about the BNP chief’s health condition two days back. “There’s no change in her condition. She’s in the same condition as she was two days ago.”

He said Khaleda Zia is being given physiotherapy as part of her treatment.

On Friday, Fakhrul said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s kidneys and heart have been affected by post-Covid complications.

“It’s a matter of little worry that her (Khaleda’s) heart and kidneys have been affected by her post-Covid complications.

“Doctors are worried about this and they’re trying to figure out how to cure it,” he said.

Also Read - Momen: No change in Bangladesh's position on Israel

The 76-year-old BNP chief, who tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time on April 24, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27 for a thorough health checkup. She was shifted to the CCU of the hospital with shortness of breath on May 3.

Though she has already tested negative for the virus, Khaleda is still receiving treatment at the CCU of the hospital for post-Covid complications and other comorbidities.

BNP slams govt over Israel issue

Israel is a threat not only to the Middle East but also to the entire world, says BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam

www.dhakatribune.com

 

[bdslph]

LONG LIVE PALESTINE AND ITS RESISTANCE

PALESTINE WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART

SORRY BUT NOT SORRY I WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE TERRORIST OR OCCUPATION

 

[Black_cats]

OP-ED: Israel is a hyper-sensitive issue
Anis Alamgir

• Published at 02:48 am May 26th, 2021

Bigstock

Only time will tell whether the recent passport change means anything significant
When people breathed a sigh of relief for the ceasefire between Palestine and Israel after the recent bloody fighting for 11 days, Bangladesh entered a new debate regarding its restricted diplomatic stand for Israel.

Some are speculating that the country is going to recognize Israel as an independent country, because the country has removed the old phrase, 50 years old, from the passport mentioning: “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.”

Despite the uproar in this Muslim majority country, Gilad Cohen, deputy director-general for Asia and the Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, happily tweeted on May 22, 2021: “Great news! #Bangladesh has removed travel ban to Israel. This is a welcome step & I call on the Bangladeshi government to move forward and establish diplomatic ties with #Israel so both our peoples could benefit & prosper.”

Bangladesh responded immediately by saying it had no new policy regarding Israel, the name has been left out from the passport to make it international standard, but foreign policy and the travel bans will remain in place. Home and Foreign Ministries have explained it several times. However, in that case, it is questionable how the government can take legal action against anyone who visits Israel.

Again, the way some netizens are shouting, it seems that Israel is sitting at the border with a garland of flowers to welcome Bangladeshis, where the current position of Bangladeshi passport in the international ranking is 96. But it is also true that Bangladesh is a significant country for Israel in terms of recognition. If any renowned Bangladeshi tourist visits Israel, they will be able to show it to the world.

Israel has been trying hard to bring Bangladesh closer since the birth of Bangladesh. But, again, Bangladesh has been looking at Israel as a “sensitive” issue since its inception. During the Liberation War, when the Arab countries expressed solidarity with Pakistan and helped Pakistan by opposing the war, the expatriate government of Bangladesh did not hesitate to show solidarity with the Arabs on the Palestinian issue.

The role of Israel in the Liberation War shouldn’t be ignored. On July 2, 1971, the Israeli parliament passed a resolution condemning the reckless destruction of the Bangalis by the Pakistani military. Even the Israeli Red Cross sent a significant amount of medicine, clothes, and food to Bangali freedom fighters and refugees.

Not only that, Israel was one of the first states to recognize Bangladesh in April 1971. Most of the Arab countries did not show any sympathy for the freedom struggle of the Bangalis, but helped Pakistan. When a helpless person falls into the sea, he wants to survive even if he gets a little support.

The recognition of Israel here was nothing short of staggering. It was the support of a vital state. Yet, the expatriate government of Bangladesh ignored all sympathy and did not accept it. Bangladesh refrained from any action that could harm the Muslim Ummah even during its worst calamity. This shows how sensitive Israel is in the politics of Bangladesh.

On August 13, 2020, 72 years after the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the Middle East countries, the mutual recognition of the UAE and Israel was like a “geopolitical earthquake.”

It is not comparable to the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem or Yasser Arafat’s handshake with Itzak Rabin on the White House lawn -- yet many believe the relationship is the beginning of a change in Israel’s relationship with the Muslim world. Following in the UAE’s footsteps, Bahrain also established diplomatic relations with Israel a few months later.

Israel’s relations with Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey are old. In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim state to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel also had diplomatic relations with Iran during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, but Iran severed those ties after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, led by spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

However, the Palestinians see this duplicity of the Arabs as a betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa, and the Palestinians. They think this is a stabbing in the back of the Palestinian people.

Many Muslim countries have not established diplomatic relations with Israel since its establishment, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians, and have maintained travel bans. But Israel has no dispute with those countries. Israel has no border with Bangladesh. The states are separated by 5,000 kilometres.

The situation in Bangladesh is similar to that of Arab interests. But sadly, the Arab states have not been able to use the same strong solidarity as any other state in the Muslim world for the last 73 years. Instead, they have gradually established diplomatic relations with Israel. The future of the Palestinians is becoming uncertain.

At the forefront of the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia, the largest country in the Middle East, has maintained cordial relations with Israel for the past three years. So far, there is no official announcement from the country to build any diplomatic ties with Israel, but this Jewish state became a factor for the country because it has a strong presence in India.

As far as the passport is concerned, specifying a ban on one single country is unwise. However, only time will tell how long Israel will remain a sensitive issue for Bangladesh, or whether it will remain an issue, as many have never imagined that the word “Israel” would be taken out of the passport.

Anis Alamgir is a journalist and columnist, noted for collecting Iraq and Afghan war news. Contact: anisalamgir@gmail.com.

OP-ED: Israel is a hyper-sensitive issue

Only time will tell whether the recent passport change means anything significant

www.dhakatribune.com

 

[bluesky]

OP-ED: Israel is a hyper-sensitive issue
Anis Alamgir

To me, this article clearly urges BD to recognize Israel. Note, how it is referring to the 1971 war. BD should be vigilant and should not do something that breaks the hearts of the Palestinian people.

Let Israel and America recognize first a Palestine State with a secured boundary and Capital in East Jerusalem, after which BD should recognize Israel. BD should not be another loose character Muslim country like Saudi Arabia.

 

[Black_cats]

Bangladesh removes passport clause that barred travel to Israel

Bangladesh drops ‘except Israel’ clause from its e-passport at a time when Israel is being censured globally for its attacks in Gaza.

Bangladesh was the first country in South Asia and 119th in the world to introduce the e-passport - a travel document with a small integrated chip embedded in the cover or pages - in January [Getty Images]

By Faisal Mahmud
27 May 2021

Dhaka, Bangladesh – A decision by the government of Bangladesh to remove a clause from its e-passport that barred its nationals from visiting Israel has prompted speculation that the country might be looking to normalise ties with Israel.

The move to remove the “except Israel” clause from its e-passport has shocked people in the South Asian country of 160 million, with many questioning the decision that follows the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians in the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.

Older Bangladeshi passports used to bear the sentence: “This passport is valid for all the countries of the world except Israel.” Six months ago, when the South Asian country rolled out its new e-passport, the “except Israel” phrase was removed without any public announcement.

Bangladesh was the first country in South Asia and the 119th in the world to introduce the e-passport – a travel document with a small integrated circuit, or “chip”, embedded in the cover or pages – in January last year.

That information came to light after Gilad Cohen, deputy director-general for Asia and the Pacific at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted last week that Bangladesh had lifted its travel ban on Israel.

“Great news! Bangladesh has removed a travel ban to Israel. This is a welcome step and I call on the Bangladeshi government to move forward and establish diplomatic ties with Israel so both our peoples could benefit and prosper,” he tweeted.

The Bangladesh government, however, vehemently denied plans to establish any ties with Israel and said its position towards Israel remains the same.

AK Abdul Momen, the country’s foreign minister, on Wednesday told a media briefing attended by Al Jazeera that Bangladesh has not changed its position towards Israel. “No one from Bangladesh can visit Israel” and if anyone does, “legal action will be taken against that person,” the minister said.

The change to the new e-passport was only to “maintain international standard”, Abdul Momen said, without elaborating.

“Passport is just an identity and it doesn’t reflect the foreign policy of a country. The foreign policy of Bangladesh remains the same as it was during Bangabandhu’s (the founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) time. We don’t recognise Israel,” the minister said.

No actual legal bars
However, after the change, Bangladeshi nationals can now travel to Israel from a third country if they can obtain a visa, immigration officials, who did not want to be named, told Al Jazeera.

None of 17 Legal Acts governing Bangladesh’s immigration rules, which Al Jazeera checked, can impose a bar on travelling to Israel, contradicting Abdul Momen’s assertion of legal action.

Al Jazeera spoke to several senior officials from the Immigration and Passports departments, none of whom could clarify whether a legal impediment to visiting Israel exists. One official, who preferred anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the passport and immigration acts could not stop a Bangladeshi from visiting Israel after the change.

Major General Ayub Chowdhury, director-general of the Department of Immigration and Passports of Bangladesh, told Al Jazeera that a passport alone was not enough to visit a country.

Even though Bangladesh has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, Bangladesh under Prime Minister Hasina has bought Israeli-made surveillance equipment, according to an Al Jazeera investigation [File: Frank Franklin II/AP Photo]“You also need visa. If the country you want to visit doesn’t give you visa, you can’t visit the country,” he said.

Asked whether there would be anything to stop a Bangladeshi passport holder from visiting Israel if they were able to receive an Israeli visa in a third country, Chowdhury did not respond.

But former Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain told Al Jazeera that he did not think any Bangladeshi with an e-passport would have “any trouble visiting there” once they obtained a visa.

Bangladesh had also previously barred its nationals from visiting apartheid South Africa – a decision that changed once white minority rule ended in 1994.

Taiwan was also a destination which older Bangladeshi passport-holders were barred from travelling to, Hossain said, but it was dropped from the banned list in 2004.

“We still don’t recognise Taiwan but there is no legal bar in visiting Taiwan. Bangladeshi people go there for various business purposes,” he said, adding that the same could now happen in the case of Israel.

Not just a simple omission

Ali Riaz, distinguished professor of politics and government at Illinois State University in the United States, said in his view, the change was not just a simple omission but “a deliberate choice” made by the Bangladeshi government.

“The rationale provided by the government that it was to make it consistent with international standard is very weak at its best, unacceptable at its worst,” said Riaz.

He said a decision of this magnitude could not have been made without considering its implications. “I don’t think the Bangladeshi foreign ministry is so naïve,” he said, adding that the question was whether this was done to signal a policy shift, or as a result of being influenced by a global or regional power.

Even though Bangladesh has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, the country, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, bought Israeli-made surveillance equipment through a middleman last year, according to an Al Jazeera investigation. The mass spying tools can hack and monitor the phones of hundreds of people simultaneously.

After the passport change, Bangladeshi nationals can now travel to Israel from a third country if they can obtain a visa [File: AM Ahad/AP Photo]Also in the past few months, several op-eds have surfaced in international media, arguing in favour of Bangladesh normalising relations with Israel and the “myriad benefits” it would bring.

In an opinion piece called Is Bangladesh moving to normalize relations with Israel? published in Nikkei Asia, Arafat Kabir, a Bangladeshi research intern at the Washington, DC-based Quincy Institute, opined that “increased cooperation offers clear benefits for both countries”.

In another article in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, Dhaka-based lawyer Umran Chowdhury wrote, “Israel offered to recognize newly-founded Bangladesh in 1972. Despite similar independence struggles, the logic of a strategic relationship, and the lack of direct hostilities, they still have no economic, defence or diplomatic ties. It’s time for change.”

‘An immoral choice’

Bangladeshi journalist Nazmul Ahasan, arguing against Chowdhury’s stance, wrotean opinion piece in the same newspaper called For Bangladesh, Not Recognizing Israel is a Moral Choice.

He wrote that Israel is emblematic of what Pakistan would have looked like had it been able to stop Bangladesh’s fight for independence, a struggle which culminated with Bangladesh seceding from Pakistan in 1971 after a bloody war.

“Just as Pakistan called Bengali nationalists ‘terrorists,’ so Israel calls Palestinian freedom fighters ‘terrorists.’ We, therefore, rightly find Palestinian struggle more analogous to our historical experience, except that ours has already achieved success,” he wrote.

“Since its inception, Bangladesh opposed recognising Israel unless a Palestinian state is established alongside. Israel did not comply with this prerequisite and also abandoned the goal altogether,” Ahasan told Al Jazeera.

“Since we did not accept what Israel did in the 1970s, why should we accept it now? If anything, we should set the bar higher 50 years later.”

Ahasan said Bangladesh’s passports previously contained a similar “except” clause against the South African apartheid regime. “It is, therefore, regrettable that Bangladesh has decided to remove the phrase at a time when the apartheid characterisation of Israel is gaining more traction than ever.”

He said contrary to what the Bangladesh foreign ministry had said, its e-passports did not require repealing such a clause to be of “international standards”. Malaysia, which was among the first countries to introduce e-passports, retains the “except Israel” caveat, Ahasan said.

Why Dhaka removed passport clause that barred travel to Israel?

Bangladesh drops ‘except Israel’ clause from its e-passport at a time when Israel is censured globally for bombing Gaza.

www.aljazeera.com