Bangladesh resumes visa services in India amid thaw in ties with new PM Tarique Rahman
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Bangladesh resumes visa services in India amid thaw in ties with new PM Tarique Rahman")
Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, India. Photograph: (AFP)
Under the previous interim setup, anti-India sentiment had risen, with incidents including threats to Indian missions and restrictions on visa processing.
Bangladesh has resumed full visa and consular services at its missions in India, including in New Delhi, Agartala, and Siliguri, as ties take a positive turn. Services had been suspended since late December 2025 amid security concerns and protests near diplomatic premises. The suspension began on 22 December, when the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and the Assistant High Commission in Agartala halted consular operations indefinitely, citing "unavoidable circumstances". The visa application centre in Siliguri followed suit shortly after.
The resumption comes just days after a major political shift in Dhaka. Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as Prime Minister following his party's decisive victory in recent elections, ending the Yunus-led interim period that had seen relations with India deteriorate sharply.
Resumption of visas is an early signal from the new government of its intent to reset ties with New Delhi. Under the previous interim setup, anti-India sentiment had risen, with incidents including threats to Indian missions and restrictions on visa processing.
The thaw has been underscored at the leadership level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Bangladeshi counterpart shortly after the oath-taking and extended a formal invitation for Rahman to visit India at the earliest convenience, along with his family. The invitation was conveyed in a personal letter handed over by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during his attendance at the swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka.
PM Modi congratulated Rahman on the BNP's electoral success, describing it as a reflection of public trust in his leadership, and expressed eagerness to collaborate on connectivity, trade, energy, and regional cooperation.
The developments are seen as positive elements in India-Bangladesh relations, which have historically been close but faced challenges under the Yunus interim government. The swift restoration of visa services is expected to ease people-to-people contacts and boost economic exchanges between the neighbours.
Trending Stories
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
