Visa resumption for Bangladeshis lies with India, govt not at fault: Touhid

Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain says any decision about restarting visa services for Bangladeshis is up to the Indian government.

Speaking to journalists at the foreign ministry on Tuesday, he said: “Such news must come from India, as Bangladesh has not created the visa complications.”

He stressed that visa policies are a sovereign right of any nation.

Touhid said, “If a country decides not to issue visas to someone or a particular group, that decision cannot be questioned. It is entirely up to them.

“We hope they will inform us of their decision or take steps to ensure that those seeking visas can obtain them.”

Bangladeshis frequently travel to India for treatment of cancer, heart disease, kidney problems, and reproductive health issues.

The exact number of people who travel to India for treatment each year is not available from the relevant government department.

Indian publication The Print, citing the country’s government data, reported that in 2023, India issued nearly 1.6 million visas for Bangladeshis, of which 450,000 were medical visas.

Many others travel on tourist visas to seek medical care, which means the actual number of Bangladeshis seeking treatment in India is likely higher.

As of August 2024, India had issued 800,000 visas in 15 categories for Bangladeshis, with 200,000 being medical visas.

However, following the fall of the Awami League government, India has halted all visa categories except medical and emergency visas, which are now being issued in limited numbers.

Five visa centres have been operating at reduced capacity, making it difficult for many applicants to secure appointments to submit their visa applications.

In a recent interview with BBC Bangla, the Bengali-language service of the BBC World Service, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus gave a positive message regarding Bangladesh-India relations.

In response to a question about the state of relations with India, he said: "Very good. Our relations have not deteriorated. As I have explained before, our relations will always remain strong.

“They are still good, and they will remain good in the future."

He added, "Bangladesh and India have no choice but to maintain strong ties. Our relationship is deeply rooted in history, politics, and economics, with a high level of interdependence that makes any deviation impossible."

"Some conflicts have arisen in the meantime," the interim prime minister said. “The clouds of misinformation have caused misunderstandings between us.

“We are working to clear up these misunderstandings.”

In response to this, Touhid reiterated the stance that Bangladesh aims for good working relations with India, based on mutual respect and cooperation.

"This has been our clear stance from the beginning, and it remains unchanged. The rest will depend on how both sides perceive their interests and how they navigate the relations moving forward.”

'TRUMP’S REMARKS UNLIKELY TO AFFECT RELATIONS'

Touhid believes that US President Donald Trump's comments regarding the alleged use of 29 million dollars in United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, funds through an unknown two-person organisation in Bangladesh will not affect bilateral relations between the two countries.

In response to a question on Tuesday, he said: “I don’t think this will cause any shift in relations. The thing is, the president only made a statement, without providing any details or accusing anyone.

“We have also looked into it and found nothing of this sort. Therefore, I see no reason for this to impact relations with the United States.”

The foreign ministry’s statement issued on Monday denied the validity of the allegation.

Regarding this, the advisor said: “This is not an investigation. We have merely inquired to understand the matter and check if such an organisation exists.”

“Our findings indicate that the funds were allocated to a US-based organisation by the US government, which then collaborated with different NGOs in Bangladesh, particularly those working on democracy-related initiatives.”

He stressed that the funds were transferred through proper channels.

"The money was received through the appropriate means, not by two individuals. Had that been the case, it would have been easy to identify."

When asked whether the US ambassador would be summoned for an official response, the foreign advisor dismissed the idea.

“I don’t consider this an inflammatory remark. The US president made a statement, but we are not seeing any substantial basis for it.

“He [Trump] did not explicitly say that the money was given to a Bangladeshi organisation, nor did he make such a claim. We do not know whom he referred to as a two-person organisation.

“Therefore, there is no need to make this into a bigger issue,” he concluded.