Bangladesh restores visa services for Indians as Tarique Rahman moves to mend ties with New Delhi

India and Bangladesh have fully restored visa services, signaling improved ties after months of strain. The move follows Tarique Rahman becoming Bangladesh’s prime minister and reflects both nations’ intent to stabilize relations and resume normal diplomatic engagement.

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Visa services between India and Bangladesh have begun returning to normal, marking the first concrete sign of a thaw in ties after months of diplomatic strain. On Friday, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi resumed visa services for Indian citizens, ending a suspension that had been in place since December.

The decision comes just days after BNP chief Tarique Rahman assumed office as Bangladesh’s prime minister, underscoring Dhaka’s intent to stabilise relations with New Delhi early in the new government’s tenure. Diplomatic sources said the restoration reflects an acknowledgment within the BNP leadership of India’s central role in Bangladesh’s regional and economic calculus.

According to sources cited by India Today, the Bangladesh High Commission reopened its consular operations on Friday morning. All visa categories for Indian nationals have now been reinstated, including tourist and medical visas. Earlier restrictions had exempted business and work visas, but the latest move fully restores services across the board.

The step follows signals from the Indian side as well. On Thursday, Aniruddha Das, India’s senior consular official in Sylhet, said New Delhi was preparing to resume all visa services for Bangladeshi citizens as well. While medical and double-entry visas are currently being issued, Das said other categories, including travel visas, would be restored shortly. “All types of Indian visa processing will return to normal soon,” he was quoted as saying by Bangladeshi media.

Visa and consular services were suspended in December after bilateral ties sharply deteriorated following the killing of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in Bangladesh. His death triggered widespread protests that quickly took on an anti-India character. Several incidents of violence against Hindus were reported during that period, prompting strong diplomatic reactions from New Delhi and leading both sides to scale back visa operations.

Relations remained strained during the tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration, which Delhi viewed as indifferent to anti-India sentiment on the streets. The political transition in Dhaka, culminating in Tarique Rahman’s rise to the prime minister’s office, appears to have altered that trajectory.

Earlier this week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla represented India at Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony and held discussions with the new prime minister. During the meeting, Birla also handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, formally inviting Rahman to visit India.

Whether Rahman chooses India as his first foreign destination will be closely watched. Traditionally, Bangladeshi prime ministers have made New Delhi their first overseas stop. Yunus had broken with that convention by visiting China last year, a move that unsettled Indian policymakers.

For now, the reciprocal restoration of visa services suggests both sides are testing the ground for a broader reset. While deeper political differences remain, the reopening of consular channels signals a shared willingness to move past recent hostilities and stabilise a relationship that remains vital to both countries.