As Tarique Rahman-led government comes to power in Bangladesh, India is preparing to resume all visa services soon. India had stopped its visa services from December 17 last year amid threats to its missions in Bangladesh. Currently, medical and double-entry visas are being issued and steps are under way to resume visa categories, including travel visas, said Aniruddha Das, India’s senior consular official in Sylhet. The relations between the two nations have soured after the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s government, who fled to India in July 2024 after protests in Bangladesh. In January, Bangladesh has also restricted visa services for Indian nationals. Barring business and employment visas, all other categories of visas were suspended.
India had good relations with Bangladesh since 2009, when Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister. Her rule turned authoritarian since past few years, which led to fall of the government. The relations with Dhaka soured when Mohammad Yunus took charge of the interim government. The anti-India sentiments reached its zenith during this time, with many Hndu killings in Bangladesh. Thereafter, India started facing serious threats to its missions in Dhaka, which led to the suspension of visa services from December 17, 2025. Elections were conducted in Bangladesh earlier this year, in which Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman emerged victorious and became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
India primarily suspended visas for the first time on August 08, 2024, three days after former PM Sheikh Hasina fled to India. Citing ‘unstable situation’ in Bangladesh, India suspended operations at all Indian Visa Application Centers (IVACs) in Bangladesh. This marked the first such suspension of visa services in Bangladesh. When the situation became normal, visa services were partially restored. The next round of suspension came in November 2025, after the death of radical leader Osman Hadi in Bangladesh, which led to anti-India protests.
