Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi confirmed on 23 February that it will again accept tourist-visa applications from Indian nationals beginning Monday, 24 February 2026. The move ends a two-month “technical pause” introduced in mid-December, when large-scale demonstrations outside Bangladeshi missions prompted Dhaka to halt the issuing of non-essential visas.
During the freeze, only medical, business and work visas were processed, forcing thousands of Indian leisure travellers to cancel or defer winter trips. Tour operators along the Siliguri-Phuentsholing-Dhaka corridor reported revenue losses of up to 60 percent, while east-bound carriers such as IndiGo were compelled to cut frequencies on Kolkata–Chittagong and Delhi–Dhaka routes because advanced purchase demand dried up.
![Bangladesh Restarts Tourist Visas for Indians After Two-Month Suspension]()
All three Bangladeshi posts in India—New Delhi, Agartala and Siliguri—will initially issue up to 1,000 tourist-visa tokens per day, with staffing reinforcements promised by mid-March. Officials said standard processing (five-to-seven working days) will apply, but travellers who postponed trips should expect early backlogs as pent-up demand clears. Applicants with previously cancelled appointments may resubmit without paying fresh fees provided they carry original fee receipts.
For Indian businesses, the reopening removes a logistical headache. Textile buyers from Tiruppur and Surat had complained that they could not inspect Bangladeshi factories ahead of the spring order cycle, while Bangladesh-India Chamber of Commerce members warned that prolonged restrictions risked driving sourcing to Vietnam and Cambodia. Tour operators now plan joint promotions for the April Pohela Boishakh holiday and Durga Puja long weekend.
Practical advice: Indian travellers should file applications online, print the auto-generated form and book biometric slots through the official mission websites only—agents and “express-token” touts flourished during the closure. Passports must carry two blank pages and six-month validity; overland visitors through the Benapole and Akhaura ICPs still need a paper visa insert at this time.
During the freeze, only medical, business and work visas were processed, forcing thousands of Indian leisure travellers to cancel or defer winter trips. Tour operators along the Siliguri-Phuentsholing-Dhaka corridor reported revenue losses of up to 60 percent, while east-bound carriers such as IndiGo were compelled to cut frequencies on Kolkata–Chittagong and Delhi–Dhaka routes because advanced purchase demand dried up.
All three Bangladeshi posts in India—New Delhi, Agartala and Siliguri—will initially issue up to 1,000 tourist-visa tokens per day, with staffing reinforcements promised by mid-March. Officials said standard processing (five-to-seven working days) will apply, but travellers who postponed trips should expect early backlogs as pent-up demand clears. Applicants with previously cancelled appointments may resubmit without paying fresh fees provided they carry original fee receipts.
For Indian businesses, the reopening removes a logistical headache. Textile buyers from Tiruppur and Surat had complained that they could not inspect Bangladeshi factories ahead of the spring order cycle, while Bangladesh-India Chamber of Commerce members warned that prolonged restrictions risked driving sourcing to Vietnam and Cambodia. Tour operators now plan joint promotions for the April Pohela Boishakh holiday and Durga Puja long weekend.
Practical advice: Indian travellers should file applications online, print the auto-generated form and book biometric slots through the official mission websites only—agents and “express-token” touts flourished during the closure. Passports must carry two blank pages and six-month validity; overland visitors through the Benapole and Akhaura ICPs still need a paper visa insert at this time.
