INDIA'S LARGEST VISA CENTRE UNVEILED IN BANGLADESH

14 July 2018:

A new state-of-the-art visa centre in Dhaka was unveiled by India in Bangladesh on Saturday. It will, in due course, replace the existing four centres in the capital with modern facilities which will shorten waiting time for applicants.

The integrated centre was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the Jamuna Future Park (JFP) in Dhaka in the presence of his Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, who was also present, informed that it was the largest Indian visa centre in the world and possibly, the largest anywhere.

Singh presented a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa to Mohammad Nazrul Islam under the “Muktijoddha” category while the Bangladesh Home Minister presented a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa to Amal Chandra Natta under the Senior Citizen category to mark the inauguration of the new Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC). Shringhla handed over one-year multiple entry tourist visa to Jannattul Ferdous.

According to oficial sources, the existing centres in Motijheel and Uttara will be replaced by the IVAC from July 15. The other two centres in Dhaka at Gulshan and Mirpur Road will also be shifted to this centre by August 31. The existing e-token (appointment) system for submission of visa applications will be withdrawn from July 15.

A large number of Bangaledhis vist India every year. Last year, the country had issued 14 lakh visas to its citizens. India has 12 visa centres in Bangladesh, its highest in any country.

On Friday, Singh tweeted that India and Bangladesh have made “notable progress in transforming our land and maritime boundaries into zones of peace and tranquillity”. He also said that he was looking forward to strengthening bilateral relations on the basis of friendship and trust. India attaches great significance to ties with Bangladesh, he said.

“The relationship between India and Bangladesh is anchored in history, culture, language and shared values of democracy,” the Minister added.