Bangladesh's global mobility and international standing have taken a sharp hit over the past year, with its passport now ranked among the weakest in the world amid growing visa restrictions, deportations, and rising distrust abroad.
According to the 2025 Henley Passport Index, released on October 14 by UK-based Henley & Partners, Bangladesh ranks 100th out of 106 countries, sharing the position with North Korea. Its citizens currently enjoy visa-free access to only 38 countries, though travellers report frequent denial and enhanced scrutiny even at "visa-free" destinations.
Experts attribute the decline to governance failures, human trafficking scandals, and strained diplomatic relations since the student-led ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government. Relations with India, Bangladesh's largest travel destination, deteriorated sharply after the change, while countries like Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand have tightened entry requirements for Bangladeshis.
A recent wave of deportations has further worsened the crisis. In recent months, Kyrgyzstan, the US, the UK, Malaysia, and several European countries deported hundreds of undocumented Bangladeshis, highlighting the growing challenges faced by migrants. Analysts say such incidents, coupled with irregular migration and trafficking, have directly eroded Bangladesh's global credibility. "UNB
