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The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced strict new regulations governing the reissue of lost, stolen, or damaged Bangladeshi passports, making online reporting mandatory alongside filing a General Diary (GD) with the local police.
Under the new directives, citizens will not face penalty fees for replacing a passport lost, stolen, or damaged for the first time, needing only to pay regular processing fees. However, any subsequent reissue application for the same reasons will incur a mandatory penalty surcharge of BDT 10,000 on top of the standard passport fee.
The instructions were outlined in a circular issued on Monday (September 21) by the ministry's Immigration-4 wing, signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman. Emphasizing that passports are sensitive national security documents vulnerable to misuse in human trafficking and cross-border crimes, the circular seeks to streamline screening amid a rising volume of replacement claims.
Applicants must immediately log the loss or damage through the Department of Immigration and Passports portal and file a police GD. The concerned police station is required to verify the claim and forward a report within 72 hours. However, applicants may proceed with their replacement application using the GD receipt even if the police report is delayed, after which authorities will issue an official "Lost Circular."
The policy also addresses cases where passports are unlawfully withheld by visa agencies or overseas recruitment firms, permitting authorities to revoke the old document and issue a fresh one. The Special Branch (SB) will update its Immigration Management System (IMS) and notify Interpol when required.
For incidents occurring abroad, citizens must report online and notify the nearest Bangladesh diplomatic mission. Reissued passports will explicitly state "Previous Passport is Reported to be Lost" on their data page. Crucially, once a passport is declared lost or revoked, it can never be reactivated or used for international travel—even if later recovered.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/national/1f1b6a3d-b61f-62f0-bcc3-df2d2c801658