India restores tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens

India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, announced the decision at a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday, saying tourist visa services for Bangladeshi travelers would resume on Saturday.

New Delhi suspended tourist visas following the political upheaval in Bangladesh in July 2024 that ousted the Awami League government. During the 17-month period of an interim government in Bangladesh, India continued issuing only limited categories of visas, including those for medical treatment.

Since the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office earlier this year, however, both countries have taken steps to rebuild ties through renewed diplomatic contacts, high-level exchanges and the phased restoration of visa services.

The warming trend has nevertheless been tempered by recurring tensions along the two countries’ 4,000-kilometer (2,485-mile) border.

Bangladesh has repeatedly protested what it describes as the forcible pushback of its nationals by India’s Border Security Force (BSF), saying such actions violate established repatriation procedures and strain bilateral relations.

Dhaka also resumed issuing all categories of visas to Indian nationals in February after temporarily suspending services at its missions in India following attacks on Bangladeshi diplomatic facilities there.

The restoration of tourist visas completes the reopening of all major visa categories between the neighbors, helping revive one of the world’s busiest cross-border travel corridors.