Bangladesh and India collaborate to boost tourism and ease visa procedures

In a bid to strengthen ties and foster regional tourism, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister of Bangladesh, Muhammad Faruk Khan, announced today that Bangladesh and India will jointly organize a tourism fair. The initiative aims to enhance tourist inflow between the two neighboring nations and promote regional tourism.

This development was disclosed following a meeting between Minister Faruk Khan and the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, at the secretariat in Dhaka.

"We have discussed increasing tourism cooperation between Bangladesh and India, especially focusing on attracting more tourists from India. We have decided to hold joint tourism fairs and take steps to further ease the visa procedure," stated Minister Khan during a press briefing after the meeting.

Minister Khan expressed optimism that this collaboration in the civil aviation and tourism industry would strengthen the existing friendship between Dhaka and New Delhi. He highlighted the intention to continue Indian cooperation in the overall development of both countries and discussed new schemes for the future, with Indian proposals being considered.

In addition to joint tourism initiatives, the minister shared discussions about enhancing air connectivity between Bangladesh and India. When asked about visa procedures, Minister Khan mentioned plans to engage with foreign and home ministries to streamline visa issuance, including considering on-arrival visas for foreign tourists.

Regarding Biman Bangladesh Airlines' performance, Minister Khan reported that the national flag carrier is currently operating at a profit, with plans underway for the government to purchase new aircraft.

Addressing the needs of expatriates and valiant freedom fighters, Minister Khan revealed that dedicated counters will be allocated for them. The Indian High Commissioner, Pranay Verma, shared that several Indian entrepreneurs have expressed keen interest in investing in Bangladesh's tourism industry.

"We are influencing and facilitating them (Indian investment)," Verma told reporters, emphasizing the potential for collaboration between the two nations. The envoy stressed the importance of launching new air destinations to bolster tourism and leisure businesses.

"Especially India is interested in establishing air connectivity among India’s North-Eastern states and Bangladesh," added the High Commissioner.

In response to a query, Verma disclosed that India issued 1.6 million visas for Bangladeshi nationals last year, and New Delhi is considering the possibility of offering on-arrival visas for Bangladeshis in the future. This move is expected to further ease travel and enhance people-to-people connectivity between the two friendly nations.