Passport Rules

The Bangladesh Passport Order, 1973 (President’s Orders No. 9 of 1973) [8th February, 1973]:
Relevant Articles
Article 3. No person shall depart or attempt to depart from Bangladesh unless he holds a valid passport or travel document.
Article 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 of 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 thousand, or with both.
(2) 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. [For comments on Art. 11 please see comments of Art. 7; ante.]
The procedure for arrest and charges are laid down in article 12:
Article 12. (1) Any Officer of customs empowered in this behalf by a general or special order of the Government l[or any officer of the Bangladesh Bureau of Anit-Corruption not below the rank of an Assistant Inspector or any officer of police] not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector may search any place and seize any passport or travel document from any person or arrest such person without warrant if a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed any offence punishable under Article 11.
(2) The Provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898) relating to search and seizure and arrest shall, so far as may be, apply to search and seizure and arrest under this Article.

Articles mentioned in Section 7 relating to the impounding of passports.
Article 7. (2) The passport authority may impound or cause to be impounded or revoke a passport or travel document-
(a) if the passport authority is satisfied that the holder of the passport or travel document is in wrongful possession thereof;
(b) if the passport or travel document was obtained by suppression of material facts;
(c) if the passport authority deems if necessary to do so in the interest of sovereignty, integrity or security of Bangladesh, or in the public interest.
(d) If the holder of the passport or travel document has, at any time after the issue of the passport or travel document, 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 if the holder of the passport or travel document has been convicted under the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunal) Order 1972 (P.O. No.8 1972);
(e) if an order has been passed by any court in Bangladesh prohibiting the departure of the holder of the passport or travel document from Bangladesh and requiring the passport authority to impound or cause to be impound or revoke such passport or travel document:
(f) if any of the conditions or the passport or travel document has been contravened;
(g) if the holder of passport or travel document has failed to comply with a notice under clause (1) requiring him to deliver up the same.


Bangladesh Passport Rules, 1974, [August 21, 1974]

Relevant Section
Article 9. Issue of additional passport or travel document.-(1) Subject to sub-rule (2), a person holding a passport or travel document shall not be entitled to another passport or travel document unless he surrenders the passport or travel document held by him.
The penal provision mentioned under the Bangladesh Passport Order 1973 will be applicable to this offence.


The Passport (Offences) Act, 1952 Act No. LVI of 1952 [14th December, 1952]

Relevant section:
Article 3. Penalties for certain offences relating to passport.-(1) Any person who-
(a) makes, attests or verifies any statement which he does not know or believe to be true in any document which he knows or has reason to think will le used or obtaining a passport; or
(b) makes use of any statement which he knows or has reason to think to be untrue in any document for obtaining a passport; or
(c) willfully conceals any fact which under the circumstances he ought to disclose for the purpose obtaining a passport for himself or another person; or
(d) forges, alters or tampers with any passport or with any document which he knows or has reason to believe will be used for obtaining a passport; or
(e) uses a passport which he knows or has reason or has reason to believe be forged, altered or tampered with.
Or
(f) is in wrongful possession prejudicial to the interests of the State of a passport not lawfully issued to him; or
(g) traffics in Passports;
shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to two years or with a fine, or with both. Explanation.-A person who bona fide works for an applicant for a passport at the desire of the applicant though it may be for a gain does not traffic in Passport within the meaning of this section.
(2) No court shall take cognizance of any offence under this section except with the previous sanction in writing of Government.

The Passport Act, 1920 Act no. XXXIV of 1920 [9th September, 1920]
Relevant Section
Article 3. Power to make rules.-(1) The Government may make rules requiring that person entering Bangladesh shall be in possession of Passports, and for all matters ancillary or incidental to that purpose.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power such rules may-
(a) prohibit the entry into 10[Bangladesh] or any part thereof of any person who has not in his possession a passport issued to him;
(b) prescribe the authorities by whom Passports must have been issued or renewed, and the conditions with which they must comply, for the purposes of this Act; and
(c) provide for the exemption, either absolutely or non any condition, of any person or class of persons from any provision of such rules.
(3) Rules made under this section may provide that any contravention thereof or of any order issued under the authority of any such rule shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine or with both.
(4) All rules made under this section shall be published in the11 [Official Gazette}, and shall thereupon have effect as if enacted in this Act.
Article 4. Power of Arrest. – (1) Any Officer of police, not below the rank of a sub-inspector, and any officer of the Customs Department empowered by a general or special order of the 12[Government] in this behalf may arrest without warrant any person who has contravened or against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has contravened any rule or order made under section 3.
(2) Every officer making an arrest under this section shall, without unnecessary delay, take or send the person arrested before a Magistrate having jurisdiction in the case or to the officer in charge of the nearest police-station and the provisions of section 61 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, shall, so far as may be, apply in the case of any such arrest.
Article 5. Power of removal.-The 13[government] may, by general or special order, director removal of any person from 14[Bangladesh] who, in contravention of any rule made under section 3 prohibiting entry into 15[Bangladesh] without passport, has entered therein, and thereupon any 16[Officer of the Government] shall have all reasonable powers necessary to enforce such direction.

Passport Rules, 1955
Relevant Section:
Article 3. Condition for entry into 3[Bangladesh].-Subject to the provisions hereinafter contained, no person proceeding from any place outside 3[Bangladesh] by sea or by air or by land unless he is in possession of a passport.
Article 4. Requirements of a valid passport.-Every such passport.-
(a) shall have been issued or renewed by or on behalf of the country of which the person to whom it relates is a subject and shall be within the period of its validity;
(b) shall, except in the case of Passports issued to pardahnashin women, have affixed to it a photograph of the person to whom it relates, duly authenticated by the issuing authority.
(c) When issued by or on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government in any part of the Commonwealth, shall have been made valid for entry into Bangladesh unless it is already endorsed as being valid for all commonwealth countries.
(d) when issued by or on behalf of the Government of a foreign country shall have been endorsed by way of visa for 1[Bangladesh] by a Bangladesh diplomatic, consular or passport authority, or, where there is no such authority, by an authority authorized in this behalf by the 2[Government]. Such visa shall be of one of the following kinds namely;-
(i) a single journey visa valid for six months, or for such shorter period as may be specified therein, for one journey only to 1[Bangladesh] or any legitimate purpose specifying therein the period of stay in 1[Bangladesh] not exceeding three months;
(ii)a transit visa valid for six months or for such shorter period as may be specified therein (Provided that in no case shall it be valid for a period exceeding the period for which the visa for the country of ultimate destination is valid), for one or more direct journeys through 1[Bangladesh] undertaken for the sole purpose of reaching the territory of a foreign State or of a Commonwealth country and occupying in each case not more that fifteen days in 1[Bangladesh], unless and extension of the time for such journey be allowed by a competent authority; or
(iii) a multiple journey visa valid for six months or of such shorter period as may be specified therein for any number of journeys to 1[Bangladesh] within a specified period not exceeding 3[Five years] for any legitimate purpose. The period of stay in 1[Bangladesh] specified under such visa shall not exceed three months at a time.
Article 5. Power to exempt, etc.-(1) the Government may by general or special orders exempt any persons or classes or persons, whether absolutely or on such conditions as it considers necessary, form the provisions of rule 3.
(2) The following person; and classes of persons shall be exempted from the provisions or rule 3:-
(a) persons whose age is less than fifteen days;
(b) persons returning from pilgrimage and in possession of pilgrim passes issued by a competent authority;-
(c) persons or classes of persons exempted absolutely by the Government;
(d) persons or classes of persons exempted by the Government; on certain specified conditions, when the conditions have been duly fulfilled.
Article 6. Duty of persons in chare of aircraft etc.-(1) No person in charge of any aircraft or ship shall bring into 2[Bangladesh] from a place outside Bangladesh any person who has not in his possession a valid passport specifically endorsed by a competent authority, whether by way of visa or otherwise as valid for entry into Bangladesh under these rules.
(2) If any person is brought into Bangladesh in contravention of sub-rule (1) an authority empowered by the Government generally or specially in this behalf may director owner or person in charge of the aircraft or ship, as the case may be, to take the person back on board and remove him from Bangladesh of the said person, and the owner, or as the case may be, the person in charge of the aircraft or ship shall comply with such direction.
Article 7. Penalty.-Any person who :
(a) enters Bangladesh in contravention of the provisions of rule 3; or
(b) does any act in contravention of any condition prescribed under sub-rule (1) of rule 5; or
(c) brings any person into Bangladesh in contravention of sub-rule (1) of rule 6, or omits to obey a direction under sub-rule (2) of that rule, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine or with both.
Article 8. Attempt and abetment.-Any person who attempts to commit or abets or attempts to abet the commission of any offence punishable under rules 7 shall be punishable in like manner as if he had committed the offence.

Passport Rules for Bangladeshi by birth and holding a foreign passport:

বাংলাদেশী বংশোদ্ভুত বিদেশী পাসপোর্টধারীগণ বাংলাদেশে গমনাগমনে নিম্নবর্ণিত বিশেষ সুবিধাদি ভোগ করবেনঃ

• নিকটস্থ বাংলাদেশ দূতাবাসে বিধি মোতাবেক দ্বৈত নাগরিকত্বের আবেদন করে তিনি বাংলাদেশী ও বিদেশী উভয় পাসপোর্ট বহন করতে পারবেন এবং যে কোন পাসপোর্টে বাংলাদেশে গমনাগমন করতে পারবেন। দ্বৈত নাগরিকত্ব সনদ ছাড়া বাংলাদেশী পাসপোর্ট বহন কিংবা এক পাসপোর্টে বাংলাদেশে প্রবেশ করে অন্য পাসপোর্টে দেশত্যাগ করা বিধিসম্মত নয়।
• নিকটস্থ বাংলাদেশ দূতাবাস থেকে বিধি মোতাবেক এনভিআর (নো ভিসা রিকোয়ার্ড) সীল নিয়ে তিনি বিদেশী বিদেশী পাসপোর্টে বিনা ভিসায় বাংলাদেশে গমনাগমন করতে পারবেন। তিনি ছাড়াও তাঁর স্বামী বা স্ত্রী ও সন্তাানদি বিদেশী হলেও এনভিআর সুবিধা পেতে পারেন।
• নিকটস্থ বাংলাদেশ দূতাবাস থেকে বাংলাদেশের ভিসা নিয়ে বাংলাদেশে গমনাগমন করতে পারবেন।
• সর্বোপরি কোন ভিসা ছাড়া বাংলাদেশে আগমন করলে তিনি ইমিগ্রেশনের আগমনী লাউন্জে ৫০ইউএস ডলার বা সমপরিমান বাংলাদেশী টাকা ফি হিসেবে জমা দিয়ে ল্যান্ডিং পারমিট বা ভিসা অন এরাইভাল নিয়ে বাংলাদেশে প্রবেশ করার সুবিধা পাবেন।