India is working toward a phased resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals, while Bangladesh has already restored all visa categories for Indian citizens, The Indian Express reported on May 2.
Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah confirmed that all Bangladesh visa centres in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi and consular divisions in Kolkata, Agartala, Mumbai and Chennai, are now fully functional. Over 13,000 visas have been issued to Indian citizens in the two months since operations resumed around February 20, spanning business, tourism, medical and family categories. Statehouse
India’s visa services for Bangladeshi nationals are currently running at around 15–20% of pre-December 2025 capacity, with medical and family cases being prioritised. Government sources in New Delhi said services were never completely shut down, with consideration given on a case-by-case basis to those dealing with medical or family emergencies.
Five Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) locations, in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna, are offering limited appointment slots, with tourist visas expected to be the last category fully reinstated. Tourism
The numbers behind the disruption are significant for the travel sector. Bangladesh accounts for over 20% of India’s foreign tourist arrivals. In 2023, around 2.12 million visitors from Bangladesh came to India, a figure that dropped to 1.75 million in 2024. In 2025, Bangladeshi tourist arrivals to India fell sharply to 470,000, largely due to political tensions and visa restrictions.
The visa normalisation was among the key points raised by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman during his visit to India last month. With new Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi set to take over, full-scale resumption of visa services is expected to follow.
At talks on April 8 between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, India committed to easing visa procedures for Bangladeshi citizens in the coming weeks. El-balad
“After the visa operations at some of our centres had to be held in abeyance in December last year, they were restored in February,” said Hamidullah. — The Indian Express