The Bangladesh Cabinet formally approved the state's accession to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents of 5 October 1961 (also known as the Apostille Convention). This was reported by Dhaka Tribune.
Today, Bangladeshi citizens have to undergo a long and pricy consular legalisation procedure to use their documents abroad, which is complicated by the fact that many states do not maintain diplomatic missions in the country.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, responding to questions from reporters, said the country's accession to the Convention would result in substantial savings.
«Once implemented, all documents that need to be authenticated for Bangladeshis going abroad, including students, workers, and those travelling to meet family members, will only need to be authenticated in this country.», — the foreign minister stated.
He said many Bangladeshis have to go to New Delhi, where 90 countries have diplomatic missions, to get their documents legalised. But to do so, they have to get an Indian visa and spend time and money on travelling.
Hasan Mahmud estimates that the procedure for Bangladesh to accede to the Hague Apostille Convention will take about six months.
Apostille is an internationally standardized form that contains information about the legality of a document and is provided in the form of a special stamp on a paper carrier or a digital mark. Apostille stamp is placed on originals and copies of documents. Apostille does not require any other certification or legalization of the document and is recognized by the public authorities of all States Parties to the Convention. Sometimes apostille may not be used if there are any other legal grounds that cancel or simplify the legalization of a document.
The process of accession to the Hague Convention intensified dramatically between 2021 and 2024. Major countries such as China, Canada, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, among others, have become members.
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