Israel on Sunday called on the Bangladesh government to establish diplomatic ties for benefit of the two countries.
Israel foreign ministry’s deputy director general for Asia and the Pacific Gilad Cohen made the call in a tweet, considering that a decision of the Bangladesh government was tantamount to removal of travel ban to Israel for Bangladesh citizens.
‘Great news! Bangladesh has removed travel ban to Israel. This is a welcome step & I call on the Bangladeshi government to move forward and establish diplomatic ties with Israel so both our peoples could benefit & prosper,’ Gilad Cohen, deputy director general for Asia and Pacific of the Israel foreign ministry said in tweet.
He tweeted it on a reported step of the Bangladesh government removing a restriction earlier mentioned in Bangladesh passports.
An instruction now read in Bangladesh passports as ‘THIS PASSPORT IS VALID FOR ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD’ with removing last two words ‘EXCEPT ISRAEL’ mentioned in passports issued earlier.
Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the decision on removal of restrictions with specific mention of a country was taken for maintaining international standards of granting passports.
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said removal of restrictions mentioned in passports on Israel ‘isn’t a shift from a foreign policy position’ on the country.
Bangladesh is yet to recognise Israel as a country.
Bangladesh did not accept recognition from Israel after the independence from Pakistan through Liberation War in 1971.
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