Bangladeshi patients, Indian businesses suffer amidst India's visa suspension

The fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5 last year, following a mass uprising by students and citizens, marked a turning point in Bangladesh-India relations. In the aftermath, the Indian High Commission and visa application centers in Bangladesh suspended issuing visas to Bangladeshis, citing security concerns. This suspension has now stretched over four months, a move that political analysts in Bangladesh view as an excuse. They argue that other foreign embassies in Dhaka have not expressed similar concerns since the government’s collapse. Why, then, is India taking this stance?

India's tourism sector has suffered significantly, as reported by Indian media. Hotels in Kolkata are facing a downturn, rickshaw pullers are idle, and hospitals in various Indian states are experiencing severe setbacks. Many of these hospitals relied heavily on patients from Bangladesh. While Bangladeshi patients face immense difficulties, Indian hospitals and hotels are also reeling from the effects of the visa suspension.

International news outlet Al Jazeera published a detailed report on the issue on January 4. According to the report, both countries are facing significant losses due to the visa suspension. However, no concrete answers have been provided regarding why the visas remain closed or when they might reopen for Bangladeshis.

Al Jazeera highlighted that "medical tourism" is not only a crucial healthcare service for India but also a major business. India attracts a large number of patients annually from neighboring underdeveloped countries by offering advanced services at a fraction of the cost in Western nations. Approximately 60% of these international patients—around 2 million people annually—come from Bangladesh. Since August, that number has dropped by 80%. Kolkata hospitals are among the worst affected, where the daily influx of at least 150 Bangladeshi patients has dwindled to fewer than 30. Other popular destinations for Bangladeshi patients, such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Vellore, are facing similar challenges.

The situation has also caused severe distress for Bangladeshi patients. The report mentions 37-year-old Mohammad Noor Alam, who urgently needs a liver transplant unavailable in Bangladesh. His wife, Khadija Khatun, had planned to take him to a hospital in Hyderabad. However, despite three months of effort, she has been unable to secure a visa. Families like Noor Alam's are among many in Bangladesh facing similar predicaments.

The visa suspension has also led to unemployment in visa processing centers. Previously, at least 7,000 online visa applications were submitted daily, a number now reduced to fewer than 500. Visa support agencies have been hit hard as well. Redwan Hossain, the owner of a visa support agency in Joypurhat, told Al Jazeera that he used to process visas for at least 300 tourists annually. Since August, he has been unable to process even one.

Mohammad Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs advisor to Bangladesh's interim government, described the situation to Al Jazeera as "not just complex but extremely challenging."

While there are reports of a few emergency visas being granted, details remain unclear. Al Jazeera concluded that until regular visas for Bangladeshis are reinstated, the situation will remain problematic for both countries.