The Crime Desk: The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has returned the passports of more than 20,000 Bangladeshis who applied for visas. According to a report by India’s digital platform The Print, this step has been taken due to visa protests and threats to the High Commission.
Online platform The Print published the first report titled ‘Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Facing Protests and Threats, Returns 20,000 Visa Applicants’ Passports’ on Sunday.
Based on that report, the Times of India again published a report titled ‘Indian High Commission in Dhaka Returns 20,000 Passports Amid Protests and Threats’ on Monday.
The visa service of the Indian High Commission has been closed since Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister of Bangladesh and fled to India in the face of mass protests by students in August last year. Visas are currently not being issued to Bangladeshi citizens except for urgent and medical needs.
According to the report and the latest news, the passports of more than 20,000 Bangladeshis have been returned. This step has been taken in view of massive protests and threats directed at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
These passports were under the supervision of the Indian High Commission, mainly due to the indefinite suspension of visa services for Bangladeshi nationals.
According to the report, Indian government sources have confirmed that only a limited number of emergency visa applications are currently being considered. However, there are also some exceptional visa applications, such as emergency medical, student visas, and double-entry visas required for travel to third countries.
It said Indian visa application centers in Bangladesh were largely closed due to protests after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Therefore, many visa applicants had their passports at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Many of the angry applicants have been sending emails to the High Commission, with some emails threatening vandalism. Along with this, the staff of the Indian visa application center has also been discredited. Members of Visa Application Centers are being bombarded with questions, and social media platforms have become a place for the public to express their displeasure. Angry visa aspirants are often tagging the High Commission while voicing their grievances on social media.
However, Bangladesh has made a significant contribution to the travel of foreign tourists and visitors to India. In 2023 alone, India issued visas to about 1.6 lakh Bangladeshi citizens, of which about four and a half lakh visas were issued for medical purposes. And till August this year, India has issued eight lakh visas for Bangladeshis. Out of this, two lakhs are for treatment.
However, since the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, considering the situation, the issuance of Indian visas to Bangladeshis has been strictly limited.
According to the report, since many countries do not have diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, Bangladeshis often rely on India to get visas from other countries. Related sources said that those who will travel to these countries for travel or business needs’ visa applications are considered urgent. In this situation, the passports withheld by the High Commission have been returned. Besides, with Durga Puja approaching, the visa application rate has also increased significantly.
The Times of India says the High Commission is taking precautions due to rising tensions between the two countries. Apart from this, the High Commission is also very careful in granting temporary visas. Because several cases of misuse of visas, such as traveling to India on a medical visa for other purposes even if there is no medical need, have come to light.
Meanwhile, the media reports also mentioned that the governments of the two countries are trying to normalize the situation.
