Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Monday visited the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park to take stock of the functioning of visa services.

He also interacted with visa applicants, many of whom were applying for medical visas to travel to India for treatment.

Given the ‘serious threats’ reported last week at the Indian High Commission and its installations in Bangladesh, the Indian High Commission had shut down IVAC operations for a day.

The centre was later reopened, and all applicants whose appointment slots fell on that day were provided with early alternative slots.

Several visa applicants are travelling to India for treatment of serious medical conditions. Keeping these humanitarian needs in mind, and despite the evolving security situation, the High Commission said it continues to operate visa centres in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi.

However, the IVAC in Chittagong remains temporarily shut following a mob attack at the entrance of the Assistant High Commission of India (AHCI) in Chittagong on the night of December 18–19.

Indian visa centre in Dhaka now operational

During the incident, stone-pelting and threats to break the entrance created serious security concerns for AHCI officials and others residing within the same premises.

During his visit to the IVAC, officials flagged problems related to the submission of a large number of fake documents, as well as disruptions caused by middlemen and touts who attempt to hack visa servers and create artificial traffic, depriving genuine applicants of appointment slots.

The High Commissioner assured that these concerns would be raised with the relevant authorities in Bangladesh.