Indian High Commissioner speaks on resumption of visa application centres

Dhaka: The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, has stated that a decision will be taken to fully resume operations at all Indian Visa Application Centres (IVACs) in Bangladesh once the overall situation improves.

He made the remarks on Monday (22 December) during a visit to the IVAC located at Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka.

According to the Indian High Commission, the Indian Visa Centre in Dhaka was temporarily closed for one day last week due to security concerns. However, services were resumed once the situation showed signs of normalcy. Applicants who had appointments on the day of closure were given priority and allowed to submit their visa applications on alternative dates.

The High Commission further noted that despite the prevailing security situation, it remains committed to continuing emergency and humanitarian visa services, including medical visas. As a result, visa operations are ongoing at IVACs in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. However, the IVAC in Chattogram remains temporarily closed.

The decision to suspend operations in Chattogram was taken following a serious security incident on the night of 18–19 December, when the entrance of the Assistant High Commissioner’s office was attacked and stones were hurled, raising significant security concerns.

-N