Op Sindoor planner tied to choosing terror targets in Pakistan: Who is Ram Temple CEO Jeetendra Mishra?Jeetendra Mishra accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Adampur air base in Punjab after Operation Sindoor. Updated on: Sep 3, 2026, 08:00:02 IST By Rahul Singh
Banks’ 'Certificate of Deposits' rates dip as FCNR flows hit $127 billionThe RBI’s scheme for attracting foreign currency deposits from NRIs has boosted banking-system liquidity, reducing banks’ need to raise funds through CD's. Updated on: Sep 3, 2026
Controversy is swirling around Rachel Cusk's new novel and its movie-star protagonist named "M". Why the fuss – and could the character be based on Natalie Portman? From Truman Capote mining the secrets of his high society friends for his writing to The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestly
Did Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole really ‘expose’ him? Viral cheating and $5M claims debunkedThe viral Kayla Nicole and Travis Kelce claims raise questions about cheating, $5 million, and what Nicole actually said. Published on: Sep 3, 2026
For almost two decades, Lady Victoria Beckham has been trying to prove that she is more than simply Posh Spice. Now, her fashion and beauty business has reached a milestone many doubted it would achieve: profitability. Victoria Beckham Holdings announced an operating profit of £7
India’s move to restart tourist visas for Bangladeshis will help heal rift between the neighbours
On Thursday, Dinesh Trivedi, India’s newly appointed High Commissioner, who had presented his credentials to the Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin only hours earlier, made an announcement nearly two years in the making.
He said tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens would resume. Applications will open on Sunday, processed across five centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna.
Urgent medical visas would continue uninterrupted, he added.
The announcement coincided with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s state visit to Beijing, which served as a reminder of how badly Bangladesh-India relations had needed a confidence-building gesture.
Since August 2024, when India suspended tourist visa services following the political upheaval that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the dominant narrative surrounding Bangladesh-India relations has been one of growing estrangement.
Anti-India sentiment surged across Bangladesh, manifesting itself in street protests, media commentary and social media discourse.
It was fuelled by longstanding grievances over border killings by India’s Border Security Force and “push-ins” across the border of people India claimed were Bangladeshi.
Bangladeshis are also irate about misinformation about their country circulating in the Indian media, as well as by India’s decision to shelter Sheikh Hasina and numerous Awami League leaders.
Within Bangladesh, there has been a rise of Islamist hardliners and pro-Pakistani sentiment.
To many observers, this seemed to signal that Bangladesh had, at least emotionally, turned away from its largest neighbour.
That narrative contains an element of truth, but it is also incomplete.
Beneath the political turbulence and diplomatic chill, there is a deeper, more enduring reality: the ordinary Bangladeshi’s connection to India.
It is a connection shaped not so much by politics than by history, geography, language and everyday life. Long before the emergence of modern nation-states, the people of Bengal shared a common cultural and social space. Many of those ties endure across the border.
Kolkata is closer to Dhaka than many Bangladeshi districts are to the capital.
The language spoken in West Bengal is familiar, the food in border states is recognisable, and Bengali-speaking doctors are available in hospitals that can often be reached more easily than specialised medical facilities elsewhere.
For the Bangladeshi middle class, India has long represented the first and most natural international horizon. A first trip abroad, a medical consultation, a wedding-shopping visit or a journey to see relatives in West Bengal, Tripura, or even Meghalaya and Assam — these are not the experiences of a privileged few.
In the year from April 2023, more than 2.1 million Bangladeshis visited India, accounting for over 20% of all foreign tourist arrivals in the country. No other bilateral travel relationship in South Asia comes close.
Before August 2024, Indian Visa Application Centres in Bangladesh had processed several thousand visas daily. That fell to three digits.
The 2.1 million annual visitors decreased to 470,000 by 2025. Bangladeshis who had been planning medical trips rescheduled, waited and in many cases simply went without treatment.
Those who needed urgent care and managed to obtain medical visas through the greatly compressed processing system were the fortunate ones.
Bangladesh used to account for 70%-75% of all medical visas India issues annually. The patients behind those numbers are not wealthy individuals pursuing rare procedures.
They are middle-class families managing cardiac conditions, cancer diagnoses, kidney failure. When the channel to obtain Indian visas narrowed, the cost was paid by patients and their families.
It is visits by ordinary Bangladeshis that made New Delhi-Dhaka ties so resilient.
Five visa processing centres is a beginning, not a full-fledged restoration. Before August 2024, India operated 16 visa application centres across Bangladesh. Trivedi acknowledged that expansion is planned. It must come quickly and at scale. A partial reopening that leaves long queues and scarce appointments risks undermining the goodwill the announcement itself has generated.
But the instinct behind the announcement is the right one. The best argument for restoring tourist visa access is not economic or strategic. It is that the people of India and Bangladesh have not actually drifted as far apart as the political rhetoric would suggest.
Jannatul Naym Pieal is a Dhaka-based writer, researcher and journalist. His email address is jn.pieal@gmail.com.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: India appoints BJP leader Dinesh Trivedi as high commissioner to Bangladesh ED arrests ex-MUDA commissioner Dinesh Kumar Sudhanshu Trivedi condemns alleged TMC attack on BJP leaders Shankar Ghosh Assam to vote in high-stakes polls on Thursday In a first, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh meets U Bangladesh govt summons Indian High Commissioner after Sheikh Hasina slams Yunus Singapore High Commissioner attends staff member’s wedding in UP village RCB Mentor Dinesh Karthik To Lead Team India During Hong Kong Sixes 2025 Dinesh Vijan opens up on delayed release amid Dhurandhar box office run Mediators Push For US-Iran Talks By Thursday As Regional Pressures Mount
On August 26, Samar Bezbaruah was preparing for a regular day. He had left his home in Assam’s Nalbari district seven months earlier to work in Nepal’s 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project. That morning, he walked into the project’s tunnel with a group of 20 others to begin the day’s
7 hours ago
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright denied claims of stealing Venezuelan oil. He stated private companies bring money and technology to develop resources. Wright emphasized fixing Venezuela's electricity sector is crucial for oil production. President Trump called the oil pact the world's biggest deal
6 hours ago
Spotify will not ban AI-generated music but will focus on preventing impersonation. The company introduced AI Credits for artists to disclose AI usage in songs. New AI Persona badges will identify profiles that appear to be AI-generated. This approach aims to inform listeners and protect genuine
6 hours ago
Shriya Pilgaonkar says Guilty Minds Season 2 cancellation ‘broke my heart’: ‘Rare to get a part like that’ | InterviewDuring the promotions of Haiwaan, the actor told Hindustan Times that the show remains closest to her heart even if season 2 was not comissioned by Prime Video
6 hours ago
Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a bill amending the state university recruitment system. The government aims for transparent and merit-based appointments in universities. Opposition legislators and university teachers protested the proposed changes to recruitment powers
6 hours ago
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, in an interview to India Today on Tuesday defended the Union government’s change in the methodology for calculating the gross domestic product amid Opposition’s allegations of data manipulation.Sanjeev Sanyal
6 hours ago
Donald Trump's portrait has made its way on to a US coin - the first time a living president has appeared on American currency in a century. The US Mint launched the commemorative $1 coin with a portrait of Trump alongside the words "In God we trust", to celebrate America's 250th anniversary
6 hours ago
Uber layoffs: CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to cut 10% of staff to simplify business. Read full memoUber is cutting 10% of its global workforce to flatten organisational layers, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a memo. Updated on: Sep 3, 2026, 07:08:17 IST By Trisha Sengupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy
6 hours ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Google Pixel 10a covers: 4 official options on Flipkart if you want style and protectionJust bought the Google Pixel 10a? These four official Google cases on Flipkart offer different
6 hours ago
A little bit of hunger is good for you," says Serge Pizzorno. "Keeps you going. The Kasabian frontman is describing a typical day in his home recording studio. Snacks and phones are banned, but he might screen a film in the background (typically something by David Lynch) while he tinkers with his
1 days ago
Three killed in separate wall collapse incidents in Odisha amid heavy rainfallOdisha recorded 1,154.3 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 31 against its normal seasonal rainfall of 1,150.2 mm Updated on: Sep 2, 2026, 07:49:44 IST By Debabrata Mohanty Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
1 days ago
If you’re depositing your PF with a company, this is important. This is big news for the millions of members of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). The central government is making major changes to the EPFO’s digital system, and under EPFO 3.0
1 days ago
Commercial LPG Cylinder Price Hike September 1: The revised prices, effective from September 1, and are expected to raise the operating costs for businesses such as hotels, restaurants and cloud kitchens that rely on LPG for their day-to-day activities
1 days ago
GoPro sold for $285 million: Starman Optical to take 90% stake in camera makerGoPro is being bought by Starman Optical for $285 million as the action-camera maker faces debt, rising memory chip prices and tough Chinese competition. Updated on: Sep 1, 2026
1 days ago
Vaishnavi Patil, 26, was supposed to share the stage with Rahul Gandhi at a Congress party event for women in Pune last month. She could not address the crowd because of time constraints but was far from disappointed. “This was the first event where a political party head was talking about
1 days ago
3-day national youth athletics meet kicks off at Guru Nanak Stadium in LudhianaBeing held from September 1 to 3 under the aegis of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and organised by the Punjab Athletics Association, the opening day witnessed competition for national honours across various
1 days ago
Aug 31 (Reuters) - Anthropic said on Monday it resumed external cybersecurity testing of AI models after deploying new safeguards, following incidents last month in which Claude models accessed the internet and hacked into other systems during security evaluations
1 days ago
ICTS 2026: Centre says Delhi set to get comprehensive road-grid plan within 3-4 monthsThe Capital is set to get a comprehensive road-grid plan within months as the Centre moves to implement the city’s new master plan, a senior Union housing and urban affairs ministry official said on Tuesday
1 days ago
The John Ternus era: How Apple is redefining design beyond the Jony Ive yearsJohn Ternus has evolved the approach from the Jony Ive era on three key characteristics. Published on: Sep 1, 2026, 21:11:24 IST By Vishal Mathur Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Before John Ternus
1 days ago
Fact check: Is Dollywood closing permanently after a fire? Could Disney buy the park for $200 billion?Rumors that Dollywood burned down and is permanently closing are false. The park remains open. While, Disney takeover claims are also untrue. Published on: Sep 2, 2026
1 days ago
HONG KONG, Sept 2 (Reuters) - While Nvidia is synonymous with the AI boom, a lesser-known group of power and cooling equipment suppliers is cashing in on a global data centre construction spree as developers race to avoid infrastructure bottlenecks
1 days ago
September has begun, bringing a fresh set of money-related changes and important financial dates for taxpayers, investors and households. While the August 31 deadlines for certain ITR filers and LPG e-KYC have now passed, September has several dates to watch
1 days ago
As India moves from AI experimentation to real-world application, the ET AI Awards 2027 recognise organisations, teams and leaders driving AI innovation, business transformation and measurable impact. Across AI startups, SMEs and enterprises, the awards spotlight excellence in AI products
1 days ago
From September 1, international passengers departing from India will no longer be required to get their boarding passes stamped at immigration counters. The Bureau of Immigration has introduced the change to simplify the departure process and make immigration clearance faster and more convenient
1 days ago
Erin Piacenti’s killer posted about ‘stabbing others for no reason’ months before attackMonths before killing Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti, Pamela Cisneros shared a series of posts where she rambled about religion, the meaning of life and more Updated on: Sep 2, 2026
1 days ago
Premier League clubs have broken their all-time summer transfer record after spending reached £3.46bn. English top flight clubs had already pushed well beyond the £3bn barrier when Iliman Ndiaye's move from Everton to Manchester City on deadline day for an initial £60m took the amount spent past
1 days ago
Ariana Grande made an emotional exit on Tuesday night, as she wrapped up her Eternal Sunshine tour, and prepared to step back from public life. The singer was occasionally close to tears - most notably during One Last Time, the song that took on extra meaning as an anthem for survivors of the 2017
1 days ago
