Since the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government and the rise of an interim government led by Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus amid widespread student protests, India has suspended the issuance of nearly all visa types for Bangladeshis, except for medical visas.
The number of medical visas has dramatically decreased. In 2023, India issued a total of 2 million visas to Bangladeshis, a significant portion of which were for medical purposes. Official data indicates that between 5,000 to 7,000 medical visas were granted daily during working days in 2023.
However, since August 2024, the daily issuance of visas for Bangladeshi citizens has been capped at a maximum of 1,000. This represents a reduction of more than 80% in the issuance of medical visas for Bangladeshis. As a result, many are turning to countries like Thailand and China for medical treatment. Reports indicate that several Bangladeshis have already sought medical services in Yunnan, a province in southwestern China.
Yao Wen, the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, told Reuters, “When a vacuum is created, people naturally seek alternatives.” A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry also noted that people from Bangladesh are coming to China for medical treatment, reflecting the growing closeness between the two nations.
According to information from Reuters, an official from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs cited two main reasons for the reduction in medical visa issuance. First, there is a shortage of staff at the Indian embassy in Bangladesh. Second, many Bangladeshis have been abusing medical visas, with most of them being linked to the previous Awami League government.
“We hope that once a stable government is established in Bangladesh, the visa issuance process will gradually normalize,” the official stated.
+ There are no comments
Add yours