Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi restores visa services

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi restored visa services on Friday, two months after suspending the services, with a view to restore the strained Bangladesh-India ties under the new government led by Tarique Rahman.

The development, coming just three days after Tarique took charge as Bangladesh’s new prime minister, highlights the importance of New Delhi for BNP and signals an early effort to remove irritants, India Today reported.

The move comes a day after a senior Indian consular official said New Delhi would also restore all visa services in Bangladesh soon.

The countries suspended consular and visa services in December as relations between the two sides went into a free fall following the murder of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

Hadi’s death triggered massive protests in Bangladesh, which sharply took an anti-India tone. Several Hindus were targeted and lynched, leading to intense diplomatic tensions.

However, with Muhammad Yunus’s departure from the power centre in Dhaka, and Tarique taking charge, the signal has been positive for a turnaround in ties with India.

Sources said the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi reopened consular services on Friday morning. All categories of visa services have been restored for Indians, sources said.

In December, business and work visas were kept outside the scope of the restriction. Now, all categories, including medical and tourism, have been restored.

On Thursday, Aniruddha Das, India’s senior consular official in Sylhet, told Bangladeshi media that steps were already being taken to fully resume all visa services for Bangladeshis.

He said while medical and double-entry visas were currently being issued, other categories, including travel visas, would be restored shortly.

“All types of Indian visa processing will return to normal soon,” he said.

These have been the early signs that both countries are ready to improve ties under Tarique.

Earlier this week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended Rahman’s swearing-in event on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also held a meeting.

Birla also handed over a letter by PM Modi inviting Tarique to India.

It now remains to be seen if Tarique makes Delhi his first port of call as prime minister, as has been the tradition.

Yunus, however, broke away and visited China last year, rankling Delhi.