Bangladesh ranked 108 out of 116 countries in the strong passport index of Henley Passport Index-2021 and slipped two notches meaning the country’s passport weakens further.
According to the latest edition of the index, Japan has become the strongest passport holder country. Singapore is also at the top along with Japan. Citizens of both countries will be able to travel to 192 countries without an advance visa. South Korea and Germany are joint second.
With historical data spanning 16 years, the Henley Passport Index published the ranking based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA).
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. Updated quarterly, the Henley Passport Index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum, said its report.
Earlier Bangladesh ranked 106th in the passport index. Bangladeshi passport holders, however, can travel to 40 countries without an advance visa, according to the report revealed on Thursday.
At that time, Bangladeshi passport holders could travel to 41 countries without an advance visa.
The UK-based company has been publishing research and indicators on the subject for more than a decade. The index is based on how many countries can be visited without a visa in advance with a country's passport and it updates those throughout the year.
Three countries in South Asia are behind Bangladesh in the latest published passport index. Bangladesh's partners in the list are Kosovo and Libya. Of these, Nepal ranked 110th, Pakistan 113rd and Afghanistan 116th.
Maldives ranked 66th, India 90th, Bhutan 96th and Myanmar 102nd in the list.
