Dhaka, Oct 1 (V7N): India's Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that visa services for Bangladeshi citizens remain suspended, except for medical and emergency cases, as the current situation in Bangladesh continues to pose concerns.

According to a report by Anandabazar Patrika, Randhir Jaiswal, an Indian official, stated on Sunday that visas are being issued solely for urgent medical needs. He added that full visa operations will resume when stability returns to Bangladesh.

Visa issuance had been halted since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August. Due to unrest in Bangladesh, many Indian embassy staff were repatriated, and visa centres temporarily stopped operations. Though visa services were briefly resumed after some stability was restored, renewed protests outside the visa centres caused further disruptions.

In response to the ongoing unrest, additional security has been deployed at the Indian High Commission and visa centres by Bangladesh's interim government.

In September, India reopened a limited number of visa application centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna. However, priority is being given only to emergency medical visas and urgent requests. The authorities have stated that visa operations will return to normal once the situation stabilizes.

More than 20,000 passports have been returned to Bangladeshis following widespread protests and threats directed at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, as reported by The Times of India. Sources indicate that only a limited number of urgent visa requests are being processed, including medical emergencies, student visas, and double-entry visas for third-country travel.

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