India to resume tourist visas for Bangladeshis from 28 June

India will resume tourist visa services for Bangladeshi nationals from 28 June, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi announced on Thursday.

The announcement was made at a programme held at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Dhaka.

India suspended tourist visa services for Bangladeshis following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024. However, limited medical and business visas have continued to be issued during the period.

Dinesh Trivedi, who was recently appointed as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, arrived in Dhaka on 12 June to assume his new responsibilities.

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Earlier on Thursday, he formally presented his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban.

Shortly afterwards, the Indian high commissioner attended the IVAC event, where he announced the restoration of tourist visa services for Bangladeshi travellers.

The suspension of tourist visa services followed attacks on Indian facilities in Bangladesh after the political upheaval of 5 August 2024. The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhanmondi was vandalised and set ablaze, while five Indian Visa Application Centres (IVACs) in different cities came under attack. Indian personnel working on development projects also reportedly faced threats, prompting the Indian High Commission to scale down its visa operations in Bangladesh.

However, citing humanitarian considerations, particularly for Bangladeshi patients seeking medical treatment in India, the High Commission continued operating visa centres in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi despite security challenges.

According to the High Commission, India has been issuing more than 1,500 visas daily across all categories except tourist visas, with medical and emergency applications receiving priority treatment.