Bangladesh passport strengthens position with three-place jump

Bangla Press Desk:  Bangladesh's passport has climbed three places in the latest global passport ranking, but it remains among the world's weakest travel documents, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 35 destinations.

The passport climbed three places from its position in the corresponding 2025 edition of the ranking.

The findings were published on Tuesday in The Henley Passport Index 2026: Global Ranking by UK-based global consultancy firm Henley & Partners (H&P).

Bangladesh shares the 97th position with North Korea, ahead of only Nepal, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, which occupy the 98th to 104th positions.

The index ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance, including countries offering visa-free entry or visas on arrival.

According to the report, Bangladeshi passport holders can travel to 35 countries and territories, mostly in Asia and Africa, without securing a visa before departure.

Afghanistan ranked last in the index, with its passport holders able to access only 22 destinations without a prior visa.

Singapore retained the top position, with visa-free access to 192 destinations.

Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates jointly ranked second, with access to 188 destinations through visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements.

Releasing the latest edition of the index, H&P said the 20th anniversary report showed that the average passport now provides visa-free access to 108 destinations worldwide, up from just 58 when the index was launched in 2006, highlighting the significant expansion of global mobility over the past two decades.

The firm also noted that, as millions of travellers prepare for the peak Northern Hemisphere summer holiday season, the July 2026 Henley Passport Index -- based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) -- shows that international mobility continues to evolve despite an increasingly complex and conflict-ridden geopolitical landscape.