India to resume issuing tourist visas for Bangladesh nationals from Sunday, signals thaw in bilateral ties
India will resume issuing tourist visas for Bangladesh nationals from 28 June, Sunday from five visa centres, including Dhaka, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi has
India will resume issuing tourist visas for Bangladesh nationals from 28 June, Sunday from five visa centres, including Dhaka, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi has announced. The development comes two years after the High Commision of India was forced to scale down visa operations because of violent protests during the violent protestst that led to the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Also Read | Bangladesh summons Indian diplomat over ‘questioning’ Zahed Ur Rahman in Delhi "I am very happy to announce that we are resuming our normal visa applications for tourist visas, which can be submitted from Sunday, 28th June 2026. We will continue to facilitate medical visas on urgent visas on humanitarian consideration and grounds," he said at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park on 25 June. Trivedi said that the visas will be issued from five centres - Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna - across the country and will be further expanded in the future. "We hope that this wil further strengthen the people to people ties between our soverign nations," Trivedi said.
Trivedi, the newly-appointed Indian high commissioner in Dhaka earlier today presented his credentials to the Bangladesh President, Mohammed Shahabuddin at the presidential palace, Bangabhaban. He was welcomed to Bangabhaban with a ceremony, including a guard of honour. Shahabuddin welcomed the new Indian High Commissioner to the country and expressed hope that he would contribute to the development of bilateral ties during his tenure. Trivedi then visited the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park to inspect operations where he made the announcement of issuing tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens. On August 5, 2024, Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhanmondi was ransacked and set on fire. Five Indian Visa Application Centres (IVAC) in different cities in Bangladesh came under attack, and the Indian personnel working at development projects were threatened. Due to security threats and the attacks on High Commission premises, the High Commision of India was forced to scale down visa operations in Bangladesh. However. several people who apply for Indian visas travel to India for treatment of serious medical conditions and keeping in mind these humanitarian needs, despite security challenges the Indian High Commission had continued to operate the visa centres at Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi.
The BriefWire