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Dhaka: There is now hope for improvement in relations between India and Bangladesh, which had deteriorated during the tenure of Muhammad Yunus. On Friday, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi resumed visa services for Indian citizens. This decision lifted the ban on visa services that had been in place since December 2025. This decision is being seen as the first major sign of easing tensions between the two countries. This step comes just days after Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Tariq Rahman became Prime Minister. He was sworn in on February 17, 2026.
Consular services resumed Friday morning.
The BNP won a landslide victory in the recent elections. This decision suggests that the new government under Tariq Rahman’s leadership wants to quickly normalize relations with India. According to diplomatic sources, the BNP leadership understands that India plays a very important role in Bangladesh’s regional and economic affairs. According to India Today sources, the Bangladesh High Commission resumed consular services on Friday morning. All visa services, including tourist visas and medical visas, are now available to Indian citizens. Previously, some categories, such as business and work visas, were not restricted, but now all services have been fully restored.
Jai Ram Dass visited Dhaka to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Lok Sabha Speaker Tariq Rahman.
Positive Signals from India
Following Bangladesh’s positive initiative, India has also received positive signals. On Thursday, Aniruddha Das, India’s senior consular officer in Sylhet, said that New Delhi is preparing to resume all visa services for Bangladeshi citizens soon. Visa services were suspended in December due to the massive protests in Bangladesh following the assassination of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. These protests created an anti-India atmosphere. There were also reports of attacks on Hindus during that period, which angered New Delhi and led to a reduction in visa services on both sides.
Will Tariq Rahman visit India on his first foreign trip?
Relations were strained during Muhammad Yunus’s interim government, which did little to curb anti-India sentiments. However, the situation has changed since Tariq Rahman became Prime Minister. Earlier this week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla represented India at Tariq Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony. He met with Tariq Rahman and presented him with a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inviting him to visit India. It will be interesting to see where Tariq Rahman makes his first foreign visit. Bangladeshi Prime Ministers typically visit India first, but Yunus broke this tradition by visiting China last year.
