Key facts
- India to restart tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals
- New envoy Dinesh Trivedi assumed office in Dhaka
- Centre elevated Trivedi to Union minister rank for protocol
- Comes amid strained India-Bangladesh ties post-Hasina government's fall
India has announced the resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals, with the country's new envoy to Dhaka, Dinesh Trivedi, making the declaration upon assuming office. The visa restart marks a tangible thaw in India-Bangladesh relations, which have been under considerable strain following the political upheaval in Bangladesh that saw Sheikh Hasina's government fall last year.
The Centre has simultaneously elevated Trivedi to Union minister rank for ceremonial protocol — an unusual but deliberate signal of how seriously New Delhi views the bilateral relationship. Trivedi, a former railway minister and veteran politician, brings political heft to a posting that comes at a particularly delicate moment in India's neighbourhood diplomacy.
The resumption of travel visas is especially significant because Bangladesh's citizens are among the largest groups to visit India for medical care, with hospitals in Kolkata, Chennai, and Vellore drawing patients from across the border. A disruption in visa services had caused considerable hardship, and the announcement is expected to be welcomed on both sides.
The development comes even as Bangladesh's interim government has been in parallel discussions with China over the Teesta river water-sharing plan — a project India views as impinging on its strategic interests. Trivedi's appointment and the visa move suggest New Delhi is actively competing for influence in Dhaka rather than ceding ground.