A passport may seem like a simple travel document, but at a foreign border it also represents the credibility of the state that issued it. Immigration authorities assess not only the individual traveller, but also the reliability of the country’s identity records, document security, migration management and willingness to accept responsibility when citizens violate immigration rules.

The interim government of Bangladesh led by Dr Yunus declared the red passports held by the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as former MPs, null and void.