India is going to resume issuing tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens, nearly two years after suspension following the political changeover in Bangladesh in 2024.
Dinesh Trivedi, the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, announced the decision at the Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park today.
"I am very happy to be able to announce the launch of general travel visas again. Visa applications can be submitted starting June 28. Urgent medical visas will continue to be provided for humanitarian reasons," he told journalists.
Visas will initially be issued through five centres -- Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna -- with operations expected to expand further in the future.
"We hope that this will further strengthen the people-to-people ties between our two sovereign nations," Trivedi said.
According to a statement from the Indian High Commission, security concerns following the events of August 5, 2024, forced Indian missions in Bangladesh to scale down visa operations. The statement said the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhanmondi was ransacked and set on fire, five IVACs came under attack, and Indian personnel working on development projects faced threats.
Despite the security challenges, India continued operating visa centres in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi to meet humanitarian needs, particularly for patients seeking medical treatment, it said. India has been issuing more than 1,500 visas daily across all categories except tourist visas, it added.
Trivedi, who arrived in Dhaka on June 12, presented his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban earlier today before making the announcement.
The resumption of tourist visas marks another step in the gradual normalisation of relations between Dhaka and New Delhi, which became strained after the fall of the Awami League government. Both countries imposed restrictions on trade and visa services during the period of tension.
Relations have improved in recent months. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Dhaka on December 31, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later congratulated Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following the formation of the new government. Bangladesh missions in India subsequently resumed issuing all categories of visas to Indian citizens.
