Dhaka Resume All Visa Services After Months-Long Suspension in India

All Bangladesh missions in India resumed issuing visas of all categories on a limited scale from Friday, marking a significant step toward normalizing bilateral relations between the two countries.

A diplomatic source in New Delhi told The Daily Star that services have restarted and will be expanded from the coming week. The move comes just three days after the BNP-led government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took oath on February 17 following its landslide victory in the February 12 parliamentary election.

Relations between Bangladesh and India had been strained since the ouster of the Awami League government through the mass uprising on August 5, 2024. Sheikh Hasina fled and took shelter in New Delhi. In response, India restricted travel visas for Bangladeshis, limited other visa categories, and imposed certain trade restrictions. Bangladesh also introduced some reciprocal measures.

Visa services were largely suspended by Bangladesh missions in India in late December amid demonstrations in front of missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Guwahati, and Agartala.

Signs of thaw emerged recently. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Dhaka on December 31 to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Tarique Rahman and sent a letter delivered by Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who attended the new cabinet's oath-taking ceremony on February 17.

On February 18, Aniruddha Das, Assistant High Commissioner of India in Sylhet, announced that all categories of Indian visas would gradually return to normal processing levels. He said medical and double-entry visas were already being issued, with initiatives underway to resume travel visas and others.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka, however, has not yet confirmed the full resumption of tourist visas. An official told The Daily Star they would make a formal announcement when tourist visas restart.

Bangladesh foreign ministry officials welcomed the positive gestures from India and expressed expectation for the early resumption of tourist visas. They noted that Bangladesh missions have been issuing visas to Indians on a need-to-basis (including government-funded projects, students, and businesses) since late December and will now expand to all categories.

According to India’s Bureau of Immigration data, 2.12 million Bangladeshis visited India in 2023. As of August 2024, the number stood at 1.29 million. The figure declined during and after the July uprising. Most Bangladeshis travel to India for medical treatment, followed by tourism and business.