Explained: Why Bangladesh has suspended most visas, barring business and student visas, for Indians

All Bangladesh diplomatic missions in India have suspended the issuance of tourist and several other categories of visas for Indian nationals amid heightened bilateral tensions, officials said.

Bangladesh currently operates six missions in India—the High Commission in New Delhi, Deputy High Commissions in Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, and Assistant High Commissions in Agartala and Guwahati.

A senior official at a Bangladesh mission told Times of Bangladesh that visa services for Indians are now restricted. “We have stopped issuing visas for Indians except for business and employment purposes. The visa issuance from Bangladesh mission in Delhi was stopped for since Dec 20. The decision was taken by higher authorities,” the official said.

The move comes against the backdrop of strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. Indian missions in Bangladesh have also significantly reduced visa issuance for Bangladeshi nationals following the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.

Tensions escalated further after the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a member of the minority community, in Mymensingh. In response, Hindu right-wing groups Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal staged protests outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20. Demonstrators again attempted to breach security cordons near the mission on December 23.

The situation briefly appeared to ease after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Dhaka on December 31 to attend the funeral of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. A day later, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi to sign the condolence book.

However, tensions resurfaced after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman—the only Bangladesh cricketer participating in the league.

Following the decision, Bangladesh wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC), indicating it would seek rescheduling of T20 World Cup group matches scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai.

A former Bangladeshi diplomat said the current climate is unlikely to ease soon. “The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is desperate to win West Bengal, and the anti-Bangladesh narrative is being used as a political tool to mobilise Hindu voters,” the diplomat said, adding that tensions could persist until the West Bengal provincial elections conclude in April.