New Delhi: India issued the largest number of visas to Bangladesh nationals in 2019, which has been “economically beneficial” for South Asia’s largest country, as per Indian high commissioner to Dhaka, Riva Ganguly Das.
The Indian high commission in Bangladesh issues largest number of visas among all missions across the world.
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“We’re seeing the results. Even a few years back, we used to issue 6.5 lakh to 7 lakh visas yearly. This year, we issued 15 lakh visas,” Das told reporters in Dhaka at a function to mark the milestone on Tuesday.
At the event held at Indian Visa Application Centre, the high commissioner handed over five-year multiple entry visas to three freedom fighters of the 1971 liberation war.
15 Lakh Visas & Counting!
IVAC, #Dhaka marked issuance of Visa no, 15,00,000! HC @rivagdas handed landmark visa (Visa no: 15 lakh) to 3 MuktiJoddhas.
MuktiJoddhas are eligible for 5 Year Multiple Entry Visas.
IVAC houses state of art facilities for #Bangladeshi pic.twitter.com/gX0STzjwgN
— India in Bangladesh (@ihcdhaka) December 31, 2019
According to news agency UNB, Das was asked by the media whether India had benefited economically from the large number of Bangladeshi visitors.
She replied that India would have gained, as many Bangladeshis were going there for shopping and business purposes. “People go there for shopping on various occasions like Eid and weddings. Businessmen go and find new avenues and it is the foundation of people-to-people diplomacy,” she said.
As per bdnews24.com, India issued 13.8 lakh visas in 2017, which increased to 1.46 million visas in 2018. Bangladesh alone constitutes about 20% of foreign visitors to India.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have hit a bit of a speed bump in recent times following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act. The new legislation aims to give fast-track citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Bangladesh foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen had cancelled his visit to India earlier this month after Rajya Sabha had approved the bill. Before the cancellation, Momen had contended that the information given by Indian home minister about prosecution of minorities in Bangladesh was inaccurate.
However, India and Bangladesh had officially claimed that Momen’s visit was postponed due “some sudden pressing national events at home”. These national events were the Victory Day celebrations, which have been marked every year since Bangladesh’s independence.