NEW DELHI: India will resume accepting tourist visa applications from Bangladeshi nationals from June 28, nearly two years after suspending the service following attacks on its diplomatic establishments in Bangladesh.
The announcement came on Thursday from India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, who has also been accorded protocol status equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet minister by the Centre.
Announcing the decision during a visit to the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka, Trivedi said tourist visa applications would initially be accepted through five centres located in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna.
"From June 28, Indian tourist visa applications in Bangladesh will be accepted. We will continue to facilitate medical visas and other urgent applications," Trivedi said.
He added that India intends to expand the service further in the future.
"We hope that this will further strengthen the people-to-people ties between our sovereign nations,” he said.
The move is a significant easing of restrictions imposed after the Indian High Commission scaled down visa operations following widespread unrest in Bangladesh in August 2024.
On August 5, 2024, the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area was vandalised and set on fire. Five Indian Visa Application Centres in different cities across Bangladesh were also attacked, while Indian personnel associated with development projects reportedly faced threats.
In the aftermath of the violence, India suspended tourist visa services but continued processing medical visas, emergency travel documents and other humanitarian cases.
Visa centres in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi remained operational, issuing more than 1,500 visas daily across categories other than tourist visas.
Earlier, Trivedi presented his credentials to Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban in Dhaka after assuming charge as India's new High Commissioner. He received a ceremonial guard of honour during the credential ceremony.
President Shahabuddin welcomed the envoy and expressed hope that he would contribute to strengthening bilateral ties during his tenure. Following the ceremony, Trivedi visited the IVAC facility at Jamuna Future Park, where he formally announced the resumption of tourist visa services.
Trivedi arrived in Bangladesh on June 12 through the Petrapole-Benapole border crossing and succeeded Pranay Kumar Verma, who completed a four-year tenure in Dhaka in May.
In a separate development, the Centre has accorded Trivedi protocol status equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet minister for ceremonial functions.
The decision was notified through an Office Memorandum issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday. While the upgraded status does not alter the official Table of Precedence and is limited to protocol purposes, it is being viewed as a reflection of the importance New Delhi attaches to its diplomatic mission in Bangladesh.