India Resumes Tourist Visas for Bangladeshi Nationals Effective June 28

India will officially resume issuing tourist visas to Bangladeshi nationals starting June 28, 2026. This announcement, which marks a significant normalization in bilateral relations, was confirmed by the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi. The move follows the successful presentation of Mr. Trivedi’s credentials to the President of Bangladesh, Mohammed Shahabuddin, in Dhaka. This decision is expected to facilitate a substantial increase in cross-border travel for tourism, medical treatment, and family visits, ending a two-year suspension that had constrained people-to-people connectivity.

The suspension of tourist visa services had been in place since August 2024, stemming from a period of severe political instability in Bangladesh and the subsequent change in government. The current restoration of services follows the successful stabilization of the relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka. Notably, Bangladesh had already resumed visa services for Indian citizens earlier this year, following the swearing-in of the Tarique Rahman government, and this latest reciprocal move by India is seen as the final foundational step in reviving normal bilateral operations.

In a move emphasizing the strategic importance of this diplomatic mission, the Indian Union government has elevated the status of Envoy Dinesh Trivedi to the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister for all ceremonial protocol and official functions. This high-level designation is designed to facilitate more effective bilateral engagement and streamline future negotiations regarding regional infrastructure and water-sharing agreements. Both governments have signaled that this policy reversal is essential to their shared democratic and strategic aspirations, paving the way for renewed economic cooperation across the border.