00:00All right, big news coming in. Remember, in the past few days, India and Bangladesh had been, over the past
00:05two years at least, faced some tensions between the relationship between the two countries.
00:10And we are now told that India will resume the tourist visa to Bangladesh from 28 June.
00:16Dinesh Trivedi, the new High Commissioner to Dhaka, has announced that tourist visas to Bangladesh are going to be now
00:22again resumed from 28 June after months of strain.
00:26Thaw now in India-Bangladesh ties. So that's a good news coming in, that tourist visas to Bangladesh will be
00:34now permitted, especially for those who live in Bengal, for example.
00:38Whether it's old Thais or familiar people on the other side of the border, such visas may help in now
00:48again re-energizing business or Thais, cultural relationship, more on that.
00:53But also, it's a good news for the tourist visas that are now going to be resumed. Let's listen in
00:59first to the highlights.
01:03I am very happy to announce that we are resuming our normal visa operation application for tourist visa, which can
01:14be submitted from Sunday, the 28th of June, 2026.
01:19We will continue to facilitate medical visas in urgent cases on humanitarian consideration and grounds.
01:30Indrajeet Kundu, our editor in Bengal, joining me for the latest on that.
01:33This will have a massive impact with regard to people in Bengal, I'm sure.
01:37Indrajeet, tell me the kind of effect you are going to now see as the visas are resumed.
01:43Would this be more business-related, tourism, people who know on the other side of the border?
01:49How are we looking at the changes? What kind of an impact does this have?
01:53Well, Pooja, very, very important decision coming from the Indian government.
01:56The fact that over the past two years, we've seen quite a strain in India-Bangladesh relations.
02:03One that has always found mentioned within the internal politics of India, especially in the run-up to the West
02:09Bengal elections.
02:10Even now, given that infiltration remains a big issue, illegal infiltration from across the border.
02:17But as far as tourists are concerned from Bangladesh, they are now welcome is what the message that India wants
02:23to send out.
02:24And therefore, from June 28 itself, just for three more days to go,
02:28all the visa application centers will be functioning on full strength in Bangladesh.
02:33And tourist visas will be processed by the Indian mission there.
02:38This was, of course, announced by Dinesh Triveli, the newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
02:43Remember, his appointment is also very crucial because he's not a foreign service person.
02:47He's a direct political appointee who has now been, you know, elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister by
02:53India.
02:53So one really understands the kind of importance and significance that the Indian government attaches
03:00vis-a-vis relations with Bangladesh right now, given, you know, the current situation at the border
03:06and talks about border fencing and skirmishes that are happening between, you know, on both sides
03:12with people lining up at the border areas.
03:15So there has been some tension in the border, but this is expected to ease that tension
03:20because there are a lot of people from Bangladesh who want to visit India for tourism.
03:24Medical visa, of course, was being given by the Indian government,
03:28but one can expect more tourists, you know, dropping in from neighboring Bangladesh into India after this decision.
03:34Alright, appreciate you joining us, Indrajeet, with all the latest.
03:37So now, tourist visas to Bangladesh being resumed.
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