Bangladesh has reinstated visa services for Indian citizens nearly two months after they were suspended. The Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi restored all categories of visas on Friday (February 20, 2026).
The suspension had been imposed in December last year under the government of Muhammad Yunus. According to an India Today report, services resumed on Friday morning.
The move comes three days after the BNP-led government headed by Tariq Rahman assumed office, and is being seen as a step towards improving diplomatic ties between the two countries.
All Categories Reinstated
Medical and tourist visas, which had been halted, are now being issued again. Business and work visas had not been suspended during the earlier freeze.
The restoration marks a significant shift in bilateral engagement after weeks of strained relations.
India Begins Process To Resume Services
India has also initiated steps to fully restore visa services for Bangladeshi citizens.
Aniruddha Das, India’s senior consular officer in Sylhet, said on Thursday (February 19, 2026) that the process to resume all visa categories has begun. According to BD News24, he stated, “Medical and double-entry visas are currently being issued. Steps are being taken to resume other categories of visas, including travel.”
He added that India-Bangladesh ties are rooted in mutual respect and shared interests, and expressed confidence that all types of Indian visas would soon be issued normally.
Background: Diplomatic Tensions And Consulate Attack
Relations between the two neighbours had deteriorated following the assassination of radical political activist Sharif Osman bin Hadi in Bangladesh.
After reports of Hadi’s death during treatment in Singapore, protesters gathered outside the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong on the night of December 18 and pelted stones at the premises.
Subsequently, India suspended operations at the Chittagong mission from December 21 until further notice. Consular and visa services between the two countries were halted in December 2025 amid the diplomatic strain.
With visa services now being restored on both sides, the development indicates a possible easing of tensions as Bangladesh enters a new political phase under Prime Minister Tariq Rahman.
