Guidance

Bangladesh: Knowledge Base profile

Published 2 May 2025

Version 3.0

About: Bangladesh

This document contains useful information about Bangladesh which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0

• published for Home Office staff on 1 May 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Bangladesh: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Bangladesh.

Names in Bangladesh consist of:

• 1 or more forename(s) (often a prefix (as explained below) and a given name)

• a surname (this differs amongst siblings and family)

• a family name – this is rare but is possible

Male names can have the prefix of Mohammed or MD. The spelling of the name Mohammed can be in many variations.

Female names can have the prefix of Mussamat or Mussamet, shortened to ‘Mst’., ‘Mss’ or ‘Most.’ Any form of punctuation used with these names cannot be included in British passports.

First names are individual to the person, and they may have only received one name at birth.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Bangladesh.

Last names can be added or changed.

After marriage, women add their husband’s surname at the end of their name. For example, Rohina Begum will become Rohina Begum Khan.

Name alignment

Bangladesh citizens must change their Bangladesh identity card details before they can apply to change their Bangladesh passport details. Change of name passport applications are accepted at the Bangladesh High Commission in the UK.

Bangladesh: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Bangladesh.

Dual nationality is allowed in Bangladesh unless the citizen is a member of the armed forces or parliament.

Bangladesh: parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about parental responsibility in Bangladesh.

Parental responsibility

In Bangladesh, the father is the legal guardian of his child and the mother is the custodian. This means the child’s father has full parental responsibility for his child, unless he dies, or it is removed by a court.

Custody is separate to guardianship, whilst a court can grant a mother full custody of her child, the father will retain guardianship (the power to make decisions regarding the child).

Bangladesh: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Bangladesh.

Adoption in Bangladesh is:

• not allowed for Muslim children and families

• allowed for Hindu children and families

Foreign nationals may adopt non-Muslim children in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Bangladesh.

Surrogacy is illegal in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Bangladesh.

Transgender citizens are not recognised under Bangladesh law. They are allowed to be documented in their gender of choice.

Bangladesh: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Bangladesh.

Civil partnerships, same sex marriage and same sex relationships are not recognised in Bangladesh.

Polygamous marriage is recognised in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Bangladesh.

It is not mandatory to register births, deaths and marriages in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh authorities keep separate databases for the registration of births, deaths, nationality cards and passports. Bangladesh have various local registers for marriages, depending on religious faith.

The Bangladesh authorities do not laminate documents.

Birth certificates

Birth certificates in Bangladesh are issued by hospitals, city corporations and local registrars in villages.

Since 3 July 2006 and under the Bangladesh Births and Deaths Registration Act 2004, all births in Bangladesh must be registered within 45 days of a child’s birth. Late registration is allowed.

If an error is identified on a birth certificate the registrar will update the original record and issue a new certificate. The registrar will not add a marginal note or an explanation to say why they changed it.

Hospital birth notification records do not exist in Bangladesh. The hospital will issue the customer with a:

• discharge notice, which includes:

  • what type of birth the mother had (for example, a caesarean section)

  • the name of the doctor or surgeon

  • details of the pregnancy

  • details of the baby

• birth certificate, which includes:

  • the doctors’ notes

  • ultra-sonogram

  • pathological reports

Marriage certificates

In Bangladesh, a couple can choose to have a religious or civil marriage. They do not have to do both.

The Kazi registers religious marriages carried out in a mosque in the registry books. An Islamic marriage does not need to be registered at a district office.

The Kazi will issue the married couple with a copy of the marriage registration called a Nikah Nama. This document shows details of all the parties involved in the marriage. The Kazi can issue a certificate that only records the names and addresses of the bride and groom and the date of marriage.

Civil marriages are completed and registered by law courts.

Death certificates

Since 3 July 2006 and under the Bangladesh Births and Deaths Registration Act 2004, all deaths in Bangladesh must be registered within 45 days of the date of death. Late registration is allowed.

Identity documents

There is no mandatory identity document in Bangladesh.

All Bangladesh citizens aged over 18 must have a National Identity Card (NIC) issued by the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC). An NIC is used for multiple purposes, for example voting, banking, obtaining a Bangladesh passport, and buying property.

National Identity Cards (NICs) issued before October 2016 have a validity period of 15 years. They have no security features and are still in use.

National Identity Cards issued after October 2016, (known as Smart NICs) are machine-readable with a 10-digit identity number. They contain the citizen’s biometric information in an embedded microchip and do not have an expiry date.