Bangladesh to India: Make visa regime flexible, ease registration for patients

Bangladesh today (July 25, 2022) urged India to show flexibility in the visa regime and wanted New Delhi to address the difference in overstay fine structures applied by the country.

The Indian side was also requested to ease registration requirements for Bangladeshi patients going for treatment at various hospitals in India.

Bangladesh also urged India to ease travel restrictions through all ports for Bangladeshi nationals, according to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry after holding the third edition of Bangladesh-India Consular Dialogue in Dhaka.

The entire gamut of bilateral consular issues were discussed in depth during the dialogue and the agenda items included expeditious repatriation of each other's nationals, particularly trafficked women and children, smooth issuance of exit permits and granting consular access for a longer period.

At today's dialogue, the two sides agreed to expedite the process of consular access, transfer of sentenced persons and visa-related issues among others, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

Both sides reiterated their earlier commitments to share real time information on detainees.

They agreed the Consular Dialogue is an important mechanism to further strengthen the people-centric approach which is at the core of the ties between the two friendly countries.

The first-ever Consular Dialogue between Bangladesh and India was held in Dhaka on November 19, 2017 and the second Dialogue between the two countries was held in New Delhi on January 28, 2021.

The 3rd Consular Dialogue was held in a cordial atmosphere and leader of the Indian delegation proposed that the next round of Consular Dialogue may be held at New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.

The Bangladesh delegation was led by Mashfee Binte Shams, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Indian team was led by Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs of India.