Bangladesh accedes to the 1961 Apostille Convention

Today, 29 July 2024, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention).

With the accession of Bangladesh, the 1961 Apostille Convention now has 127 Contracting Parties. It will enter into force for Bangladesh on 30 March 2025. More information on this Convention is available on the Apostille Section of the HCCH website.

At the ceremony, which was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, Bangladesh was represented by Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. M Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands, Dr. Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur, Director General (Consular & Welfare), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, Mr. Shabab Bin Ahmed, Minister (Local), Embassy of Bangladesh, and Mr. Md. Jannatul Habib, First Secretary, Embassy of Bangladesh. The depositary was represented by Mr Jules van Eijndhoven, Head of the Treaties Division, Ms. Coos Maas, Legal Officer at the Treaties Division, and Ms. Lichelle Fisser, Senior Policy Officer (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives), Asia and Oceania Department (DAO) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, while the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH was represented by Dr Gérardine Goh Escolar, Deputy Secretary General.

Bangladesh is not yet a Member of the HCCH and the 1961 Apostille Convention is the first HCCH Convention or instrument that it has joined, making it the 158th Party connected to the work of the HCCH.