The acquisition of visas for Bangladeshi citizens from India will return to normal soon, according to Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament on Tuesday, expressing optimism following recent high-level discussions with Indian officials.
The minister made the remarks while responding to a written question from Sheikh Mojibur Iqbal, MP for Kishoreganj-5 constituency, during the question-answer session on Tuesday. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed presided.
The foreign minister said Bangladesh’s current relationship with India and other South Asian neighbours stands on a foundation of amity, friendship and solidarity.
“The foundation of this relationship is shared values, historical connections, and the strong bond between the peoples of the two countries,” he said.
Since coming to power, the current government has taken initiatives to advance relations with India based on sovereign equality, fairness and mutual respect while upholding the national interest, he added.
The minister informed parliament that the government has already taken effective steps to facilitate the visa process with India. During his recent visit to India, highly productive discussions were held with the Indian foreign minister, minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the national security adviser.
“In those meetings, a strong call was made to normalise the process of travel and business visas for Bangladeshi citizens,” Khalilur Rahman said.
The minister expressed firm optimism that positive changes in visa matters will come soon as a result of these discussions.
