Bangladesh Resumes Visa Services for Indians in Delhi

Bangladesh has resumed visa services for Indian citizens at its High Commission in New Delhi, nearly two months after the services were suspended, according to Indian media reports.

The services were restored on Friday morning, India Today reported.

The move comes three days after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government took office, signalling a thaw in diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring countries.

All categories of visas for Indian nationals have now been reinstated, including medical and tourist visas. During the suspension in December, business and work visas had remained operational, the report said.

Consular and visa services between Bangladesh and India were partially halted in December following diplomatic tensions triggered by the killing of political activist Sharif Osman bin Hadi. He died while undergoing treatment in Singapore.

Following news of his death, attacks were reported on the offices of two newspapers and the Chhayanaut building in Dhaka on December 18. On the same night, protesters demonstrated in front of the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram, where stones were thrown at the mission.

Subsequently, operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Chattogram were suspended from December 21 until further notice.

The resumption of visa services in Delhi comes a day after Aniruddha Das, India’s senior consular official in Sylhet, indicated that New Delhi would gradually restore full visa services in Bangladesh. He said medical and double-entry visas were already being issued, while other categories, including tourist visas, would follow.

Bilateral relations have shown signs of improvement after the BNP secured a landslide victory in the recent national election.