India has announced the resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens, ending a suspension that had remained in place for nearly two years following the 2024 uprising.
India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said tourist visa applications would be accepted from 28 June as part of efforts to normalise bilateral relations.
Expressing his satisfaction at making the announcement on his first day in office, Trivedi said, “I am very happy about this. It is good for us, good for the people here. It was everyone’s due. I hope that the common people here will also be happy.”
After presenting his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the envoy visited the Indian Visa Application Centre at Jamuna Future Park, where he announced that applications would initially be accepted through centres in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna. The programme will later be expanded to other cities.
Former ambassador Mahbub Hassan Saleh described the decision as a positive signal.
“It is a good gesture from the Indian side. Tourist visa services had remained suspended for nearly two years and reopening them immediately after assuming office is a positive start for the high commissioner,” he said.
Trivedi begins his mission at a time when Bangladesh-India relations remain under strain, with Dhaka raising concerns over India’s push-in attempts and growing anti-Bangladesh rhetoric in Indian politics. Since the BNP government assumed office in February, the Indian high commissioner has twice been summoned by Bangladesh over bilateral issues.
Indian Visa Application Centres were closed on 18 July 2024 amid violence during the anti-discrimination movement. Following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August, visa services remained suspended because of security concerns.
On 16 August, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian high commission would issue only emergency and medical visas on a limited scale until conditions improved.
The suspension caused significant hardship for Bangladeshi travellers, particularly businesspeople. Although medical visas remained available, appointments were limited.
Challenges ahead
Repairing trust between Dhaka and New Delhi remains Trivedi’s biggest challenge. India’s push-in policy and the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which expires in December, are expected to dominate the bilateral agenda.
Mahbub Hassan Saleh said rebuilding confidence would be the new envoy’s first priority.
“There is a trust deficit in the relationship. The first challenge will be to reduce that gap and bring the relationship back to a functional working level,” he said.
He added, “The new High Commissioner needs to work in that direction to re-establish a normal Dhaka-Delhi relationship first.”
According to a Bangabhaban press release, Trivedi expressed hope that tensions over the push-in issue would be resolved through dialogue and cooperation.
Appointed India’s high commissioner on 27 April, Trivedi previously served as India’s Union Minister for Railways and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2021.
