Citizens within the country who lose, misplace, or damage their passport for the first time will not be required to pay any additional penalty fee beyond the regular passport fee.

However, from the second time onward, a penalty fee of 10,000 BDT will be charged in addition to the standard fee for each instance of a lost, stolen, or damaged passport.

This directive was issued on Monday (September 21) through a circular by the Immigration-7 Branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs, signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Nuruzzaman.

According to the circular, a significant number of individuals within the country have recently been applying for passport re-issues by declaring their passports lost, stolen, or damaged.

Because a passport is a sensitive travel document, its misuse can lead to severe security risks, including human trafficking, illegal entry, and anti-state activities.

Taking these factors into consideration, the new regulations have been implemented.

Under the updated guidelines, if a passport is lost, stolen, or damaged, the incident must be reported immediately through the designated website or online system of the Department of Immigration and Passports.

Additionally, a General Diary (GD) must be filed at the nearest police station.