The reason behind the return of passports of 20,000 Bangladeshis to India
September 30, 20242 Mins Read

International Desk: India has returned the passports of more than 20,000 Bangladeshis. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has returned these passports. The move came amid protests and threats over visas.

Visa

This information was given in a report of the Indian media Times of India on Monday (September 30).

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country after resigning in the popular uprising of students last August. Since then the Indian visa service has been suspended. Applicants are virtually at a standstill as visa services for Bangladeshi nationals are suspended indefinitely.

India's Ministry of External Affairs has said that visas are currently not being issued to Bangladeshis except for emergencies and medical needs.

Spokesperson of the ministry Randhir Jaiswal said, for the time being, visas are being given to Bangladeshis for medical and urgent needs. When the situation in Bangladesh becomes normal, the work will start in full and the issuance of visa will also be normal.

The Times of India reports that a limited number of urgent applications are currently being processed. Apart from this some exceptional applications are also being processed. These are double-entry visas required for medical emergencies, student visas and travel to third countries.

According to the report, most of the Indian visa application centers in Bangladesh are closed. As a result, many frustrated applicants are emailing the High Commission. There are even threats of vandalism in emails.

According to this Indian media, due to the lack of diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, Bangladeshis often have to rely on India to get visas from other countries, especially Europe. Apart from this, visa applications have increased significantly as Durga Puja is approaching.

According to the report, the embassy is on high alert due to the growing tension between the two countries. Apart from this, they are also taking precautions in giving visas. However, the report also mentioned that the governments of both countries are making efforts to normalize the situation.