Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Bangladeshi passport remains one of the weakest in the world as the country has ranked 97th out of 104 positions in the global travel document standards.
The South Asian nation has shared the ranking with North Korea, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index.
It has ranked the countries based on their visa-free access to other travel destinations.
The report, which was published on Wednesday, said Bangladeshi passport holders can enter 42 countries with on-arrival visa facility.
Bangladesh is only ahead of countries like Libya, Nepal, Palestinian Territory, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
In the last year's index, Bangladesh ranked 98th, the report says.
Six countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Singapore -- share the top spot with visa-free access to a record-breaking 194 destinations.
Finland, South Korea and Sweden share the second spot with access to 193 countries, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands share the third position in the ranking.
The UK-based Henley & Partners prepares the global report with data from different sources, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Among Bangladesh's neighbouring countries, India has ranked 80th, Pakistan 101st, Sri Lanka 96th, Bhutan 87th and the Maldives 58th.
In a statement, Chairman of Henley & Partners Dr Christian H. Kaelin said although the general trend over the history of the 19-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than ever.
"The average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa," he was quoted as saying by the statement.