In a reciprocal gesture to Dhaka, New Delhi has confirmed that India will restore regular processing for every Bangladeshi visa category “in a phased but rapid manner.” Speaking at a press briefing in Sylhet on 19 February (reported 20 February by Bangladeshi media), Assistant High Commissioner Aniruddha Das said medical and double-entry visas were already being issued and travel visas would follow shortly.
The announcement matters because India issued about 1.6 million visas to Bangladeshi citizens in 2024, many of them same-day shoppers and medical patients entering through the Petrapole–Benapole land border. Volume plunged during the winter suspension, squeezing retail and healthcare earnings in eastern India.
Travellers looking for a smoother way to secure appointments and track documentation can tap VisaHQ’s online platform, which offers Bangladeshi applicants step-by-step guidance and real-time updates for Indian visas; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Consulates have been instructed to add extra biometric slots and deploy mobile camps in Chittagong and Khulna to handle pent-up demand. The High Commission is also trialling QR-coded appointment letters to combat a black market in slots that flourished during last year’s crunch.
For cross-border trucking companies, the bigger prize is a mooted expansion of multiple-entry business visas from one year to three years, though the envoy stressed that paperwork simplification would require Home Ministry sign-off.
Businesses relying on Bangladeshi technicians or buyers should monitor weekly updates; interim workarounds such as electronic travel authorisation letters remain discretionary and cannot be guaranteed at ports of entry.
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