In most developed countries, passports are issued without requiring police clearance. These nations verify citizens’ identities using national ID cards, birth certificates, biometric data, and digital databases.
Currently, around 70-80 countries—including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Japan, and Singapore—issue passports without police verification.
Why Don’t Developed Countries Require Police Verification? In these countries, citizens’ information is securely stored in modern databases. Identity verification is done using biometric data, national ID cards, and birth records. Authorities can check whether an applicant has a criminal history directly from their databases. Some countries require a statutory declaration during the passport application process, where applicants legally affirm that they have provided honest information.
In special cases, additional verification may be conducted for security reasons or if suspicions arise. Dual citizenship holders or those acquiring new citizenship may also undergo separate verification.
Is Bangladesh a Part of the Developed World? Is our database updated and efficient? The short answer is no. As of 2025, Bangladesh ranks 93rd out of 199 countries in passport strength.
The main reason Bangladesh requires police clearance for passports is national security and reducing the risk of criminals fleeing abroad. The country faces significant challenges, including terrorism, fraud, human trafficking, scams, and drug smuggling. The government must ensure that no criminals or suspects obtain passports illegally and escape the country.
In the past, there were numerous cases of fraudulent passports being issued using fake or counterfeit identity documents. Some individuals managed to obtain passports by providing false information, sometimes using fake national ID cards or birth certificates. Mandatory police verification helps prevent such fraud.
Several countries have expressed concerns regarding Bangladeshi passport holders, particularly due to issues like human trafficking, forged passports, and illegal immigration. To maintain international credibility, the Bangladeshi government must implement additional security measures before issuing passports.
Police verification is crucial to preventing individuals involved in anti-state activities, terror financing, or those who may damage the country's reputation abroad from obtaining a passport.
Preventing Criminals from Escaping
Many suspects in various legal cases attempt to flee the country. With mandatory police verification, law enforcement agencies can prevent such individuals from obtaining passports.
In certain cases—such as urgent passports or e-passports—police verification may be bypassed, depending on the applicant’s background. If someone already has a passport or their identity can be verified through existing records, police verification may be simplified or omitted.
However, if Bangladesh had a fully digitalized and up-to-date identity database like developed countries, and if criminal records could be instantly verified, police verification might not have been necessary.
A country's passport strength is determined by how many destinations its holders can visit visa-free or with visa-on-arrival access. Last year, Bangladesh ranked 97th in this index. In 2023, the ranking was 98th.
In 2025, Bangladesh has improved four positions, ranking 93rd in the global passport strength index, alongside Libya and Palestine. Singapore holds the top position, while Afghanistan ranks last.
These rankings were published by the London-based firm Henley & Partners on February 4, 2025. The index analyzed 199 countries’ passports and 227 travel destinations. Currently, Bangladeshi passport holders can travel visa-free or with visa-on-arrival to 39 countries, down from 42 countries at the start of last year. In 2023, the number was 40.
Among South Asian countries, the Maldives has the strongest passport, ranking 52nd, allowing visa-free travel to 93 countries. India follows at 80th place, with access to 56 countries. Bhutan ranks 83rd, allowing its passport holders to visit 51 countries without a visa. Myanmar is at 88th place, with access to 45 countries.
With Bangladesh’s already weak passport ranking, removing police clearance could allow criminals to obtain passports easily, further damaging its reputation.
Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus recently announced the decision to eliminate police verification, stating:
"I didn’t need police verification for my birth certificate or national ID. These were given to me as a citizen. A passport is also a citizen’s identity document. Why should police verification be required? We have passed a law stating that police verification is no longer needed."
The major problem, however, is that Bangladesh’s databases are still incomplete, error-prone, and outdated. If passports rely on flawed birth certificates and NID data, it could create serious issues.
To ensure national security and prevent criminals from obtaining passports, maintaining police clearance is a logical step. However, efforts should be made to eliminate harassment, corruption, and bribery in passport verification.
A specialized unit—similar to DB, CID, or SB—could be created to handle passport verification, ensuring quick and hassle-free processing for eligible applicants without unnecessary delays or exploitation.
Furthermore, passport offices themselves are riddled with corruption. These offices have a network of brokers who issue passports to anyone for a price. Eliminating police clearance without first addressing such corruption would not be a reasonable or effective decision.
Author: Journalist
February 16, 2025