Last Change:
08/18/2025
The Bangladesh Passport Order, 1973 (President's Order)
Year: 1973
Type: Domestic law
Rights Category: Documentation
Description
This order came in action to provide for the issue of passports and travel documents to regulate, in the public interest, the departure from Bangladesh of citizens of Bangladesh. The Order also provides for issuance of Travel Documents to non citizens of the country.
The Order defines further the offences related to the passport and also the level of punishments. Under this Order, the passport authority may refuse to issue passport/ travel document if the applicant is not a citizen of Bangladesh; or been convicted by a court in Bangladesh for any offence involving moral turpitude, and sentenced in respect thereof to imprisonment for not less than two years; or is reasonably suspected of smuggling of currency, drugs, arms, trafficking in women and slaves, foreign currency, passports or of indulging in illegal dealings involving foreign exchange, trade or commerce; or was previously deported from abroad on account of his undesirable activity; or likely to become destitute and his repatriation would be a charge on public funds under section 6 of the order.
Selected provisions
No person shall depart or attempt to depart from Bangladesh unless he holds a valid passport or travel document.
11. Whoever-
(a) contravenes the provisions of Article 3; or
(b) knowingly furnishes any false information or suppresses any material fact with a view to obtaining a passport or travel document under this Order or without lawful authority alters or attempts to alter or causes to alter the entries made in a passport or travel document; or
(c) fails to produce for inspection his passport or travel document (whether issued under this Order or not) when called upon to do so by the prescribed authority; or
(d) knowingly uses a passport or travel document issued to another person; or
(e) knowingly allows another person to use a passport or travel document issued to him,
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to Taka two thousand, or with both.
(2) Whoever abets any offence punishable under clause (1) shall be liable to punishment provided in that clause for that offence.
(3) Whoever contravenes any condition of a passport or travel document or any provision of this Order or any rule made thereunder for which no punishment is provided elsewhere in this Order shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to Taka five hundred, or with both.
Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions relating to issue of a passport or travel document, the Government may issue, or cause to be issued, a passport or travel document to a person who is not a citizen of Bangladesh if the Government is of the opinion that it is necessary so to do in the public interest.