After a two-year closure, India has once again introduced tourist visas for Bangladeshis. After the decision came into effect, a large crowd of applicants was seen at various Indian visa application centres in the country.
Within just 24 hours, more than one lakh visa applications have been submitted, which is seen as a reflection of the long-standing demand.
On June 28, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi announced the resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshis. Later, long queues were formed at the Indian visa application centres in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna. A long line of about a kilometre was seen outside the Visa Center of Jamuna Future Park in the capital for several days.
In August 2024, India suspended tourist visas for Bangladeshis due to political unrest and security. After that, only a few types of visas, including medical, were introduced on a limited scale. As a result, Bangladeshis have to suffer for various needs like medical treatment, tourism, shopping and meeting relatives.
According to analysts, the social, cultural and geographical links between the two countries are deep, despite the tension in political relations. India is still one of the main destinations for Bangladeshis, especially due to medical, education, business and family reasons.
According to statistics, more than 20 lakh Bangladeshis used to visit India every year. However, due to the suspension of the visa, that number fell to about 4 lakh in 2025. Most of the Bangladeshis go to India on medical visas.
India is still one of the most popular destinations for Bangladesh for medical treatment. Bangladeshis are notable in hospitals in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Bengaluru due to linguistic facilities, low cost and better medical care. Many applicants have said that the resumption of a tourist visa will make it easier to go to India for treatment.
Shafiqul Islam, who came to apply to the visa centre, said the decision to provide great relief to the treatment of his sick wife and mother has given great relief. Other applicants also expressed hope that the relations between the two countries will improve and increase human-to-people contact.
On the other hand, the West Bengal business community has also welcomed the decision. In the last two years, due to the decline of Bangladeshi tourists, hotels, restaurants and retail businesses in New Market and Sadar Street in Kolkata, have seen a major downturn. Businessmen hope that if the arrival of Bangladeshis increases, the local economy will also be revived.
The resumption of tourist visas in India will bring a new boost to medical, tourism, business and family connectivity. However, there has also been a need to make the application process more effective and expedite to deal with the huge pressure of the visa applicant.