Has the Indian Government started issuing visas again after the pandemic?
As many as 19 Bangladeshis travelled to India through Benapole port on medical visas with the approval of the house Ministry’s security services division on Wednesday, taking the entire number to 45 within the last three days.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshis coming back from India are being kept in 14 days of mandatory institutional quarantine at different hotels in Jessore, Benapole and other areas at their expenses.
The Bangladesh government imposed a ban on visits to and from India from April 26 to stop the spread of Covid-19, including a replacement variant of the deadly disease.
A large number of Bangladeshis visit India on medical visas on a daily basis. Thanks to the travel ban, the treatment process of the many patients was disrupted tremendously. Patients handling complex diseases suffered the foremost .
Dhiman Sarkar, a Bangladeshi who visited India on a medical visa, said: “My girl was affected by a posh disease. I visited India three months ago for her treatment. We were supposed to return within a month, but we couldn’t make it thanks to the travel ban, because the Covid situation deteriorated further.
“Now we've received clearance from the house Ministry, after seeking permission. But we had to satisfy various conditions, including the arrangement of Covid-19 negative certificates within 72 hours of testing,” he added.
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Jahanara Begum said: “I are visiting India for medical treatment, risking my life amid this pandemic. I wouldn’t need to , if treatment facilities in our country were improved.
According to immigration sources, the govt has decided to grant a conditional travel permit to India on humanitarian grounds after two months of the newest ban.
The Indian government has responded positively to the initiative.
Benapole Immigration OC Ahsan Habib said: “Patients affected by complex diseases have the chance to go to India on medical visas with conditional travel permits from the house Ministry. Bangladeshis coming back from India are returning with special clearance from the Bangladesh embassy in India.”
Around 5,562 Bangladeshis have returned to the country from India within the last 56 days. During this era , 45 Bangladeshis and 1,000 Indians visited India from Bangladesh, he added.
The Indian government had suspended all existing visas apart from diplomatic, official, UN, world organization , employment and project visas on March 13, 2020. After several months, the suspension was eased because the Covid-19 situation developed in both counties.
The ongoing travel ban was imposed on April 26, 2021, following a huge surge in Covid-19 cases within the region.
