An Indian parliamentary committee has recommended the early restoration of normal visa services for Bangladeshi nationals, emphasizing that full visa operations should be resumed in phases as the security situation improves to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two neighboring countries.
The recommendation was outlined in a government action-taken report released on Thursday regarding the implementation of the parliamentary committee’s Ninth Report on the Future of India-Bangladesh Relations, according to The Times of India.
The report noted that the significant reduction in visa services for Bangladeshi citizens could adversely affect people-to-people exchanges and mutual goodwill between the two countries. It therefore recommended a gradual normalization of visa operations, subject to improvements in the security environment.
The committee also advised India’s Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate with relevant security agencies and take steps to fully restore visa services in Bangladesh once conditions permit.
In addition, the report called for stronger consular cooperation between the two countries, including regular reviews of visa policies, faster resolution of applicants’ grievances, and measures to reduce unnecessary inconvenience for legitimate travelers.
The Ministry of External Affairs informed the parliamentary panel that visa services were significantly curtailed after August 5, 2024, due to the security situation in Bangladesh, and that consular personnel had also been withdrawn during that period.
At present, India’s five Visa Application Centres in Bangladesh are issuing around 1,500 visas per day, with approximately 80 percent of them being medical visas.
Source: The Times of India