After months of strained ties, India and Bangladesh are now moving towards stability, with both sides restarting visa services and preparing for full-scale operations soon. The development comes as relations begin to improve following the exit of Muhammad Yunus and the formation of a new government in Dhaka.
Bangladesh resumes visa services for Indians across all categories
Bangladesh has already resumed issuing visas to Indian citizens across all categories. Its visa centres in New Delhi, Kolkata, Agartala, Mumbai and Chennai are fully operational again. According to Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah, services that were paused in December were restarted in February.
In the last two months alone, over 13,000 visas have been issued to Indians for travel related to tourism, business, medical needs and family visits.
On the other hand, India is taking a gradual approach. Officials say visa processing for Bangladeshi nationals is currently running at about 15-20% of earlier capacity, with priority given to medical and emergency cases.
Talks and diplomatic steps
The visa issue was raised during the recent visit to India of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. Soon after, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to Dhaka as part of a delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Sources told The Indian Express that both sides are working to fully normalise visa services in the coming weeks. The appointment of new Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi is also expected to speed up the process.
Drop in travel, signs of recovery
Bangladesh remains one of the biggest sources of foreign visitors to India, accounting for over 20% of arrivals. In 2023, around 21.2 lakh Bangladeshis visited India, which dipped to 17.5 lakh in 2024.
However, the numbers fell sharply to about 4.7 lakh in 2025 due to political tensions and visa restrictions. Services were reduced after protests near Indian missions in cities like Chittagong and Sylhet.
Wider cooperation ahead
Officials say the restoration of visa services is just the first step. Both countries are now looking to strengthen economic ties and improve energy cooperation. Recently, India even supplied diesel to Bangladesh to help tackle its energy shortage during the West Asia conflict.
With diplomatic engagement picking up again, high-level meetings between the two sides are also expected soon, signalling a clear effort by New Delhi and Dhaka to reset ties and move forward.
