India inaugurated world’s largest visa application centre in Bangladesh

Visiting Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday inaugurated the world’s largest state-of-the-art visa centre here with modern facilities, promising shorter waiting times for applicants.

Singh inaugurated the integrated centre at Jamuna Future Park (JFP) along with his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, reports.

Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was also present, told the media that “this is the largest Indian visa centre in the world and possibly the largest anywhere”.

The new centre will replace the existing centres in Motijheel and Uttara from July 15.

The remaining two centres in Dhaka—at Gulshan and Mirpur Road—will also be shifted to this centre, located in a spacious 18,500 square feet commercial area, by August 31.

The existing e-token (appointment) system for submission of visa applications will also be withdrawn from July 15.

Bangladeshis constitute one of the largest numbers of visitors from a single country to India, the report said. Last year the country issued 1.4 million visas to Bangladeshi nationals.

India has 12 visa centres in Bangladesh, which is the highest number the former has in any country in the world, the report said.

India issues



five-year multiple entry visas for freedom fighters, senior citizens and businessmen.

Earlier today, Singh called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed issues of mutual concern, including the menace terrorism.

Singh arrived here yesterday on a three-day visit.

“Had an extremely fruitful meeting with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka today. We discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest,” Singh tweeted after his meeting with Hasina at her official residence.

“It is possible to uproot militancy and terrorism if all the countries in the region join their hands,” Singh told Hasina.

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”.

His three-day visit is taking place in the context of the Home-Minister level talks held on a regular basis between India and Bangladesh, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said.

The last such talks were held in New Delhi in July 2016.

Issues tied to security, border management, cooperation in countering illegal activities and travel arrangements are expected to be discussed at a meeting on Sunday.