United News of Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh will now continue to extend the ‘visa-on-arrival’ facility to all eligible countries, including Bhutan. Pursuant to the earlier notification regarding the ‘suspension’ of the ‘visa-on-arrival’ facility by the government of Bangladesh from Jan 15 to Feb 15, the Bhutanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade on Wednesday informed the public that Bangladesh’s Embassy in Thimphu has conveyed that the Bangladesh government will now continue to extend the ‘visa-on-arrival’ facility to all eligible countries, including Bhutan. Read more: Bangladeshis granted B1/B2 US visas to face up to $15,000 bond from Jan 21 Accordingly, Bhutanese passport holders travelling to Bangladesh may continue to avail themselves of the ‘Visa-on-arrival’ facility. All travellers are required to carry details of accommodation in Bangladesh and a return air ticket, according to a notification issued by the Bhutanese Ministry. Election observers, as well as military and security personnel travelling to Bangladesh, are required to contact the Embassy of Bangladesh in Thimphu to complete the necessary formalities prior to travel. The Bhutanese Ministry advises all travellers to take note of this update and make the necessary arrangements well in advance to avoid any inconvenience. Bangladesh issues special visa guidelines ahead of national election  “We are not stopping the issuance of visas. Those who wish to come may apply for visas, and we will issue them as long as their purpose is valid,” Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 14.  “You know, during the election period, there may be attempts to create unexpected situations. Some unwanted individuals may try to enter the country suddenly,” he said.

Starting January 21, 2026, all Bangladeshi nationals approved for a B1/B2 (business and tourist) United States visa will be required to post a bond of up to $15,000. The US Embassy in Dhaka said on Monday that this requirement does not apply to people holding a valid B1/B2 visa issued before January 21, 2026. "Do not pay your bond in advance. Paying early does not guarantee you a visa, and third-party sites can be scams," said the Embassy in a notification through its verified Facebook page. Govt to chalk out strategy over US immigrant visa suspension: Rizwana "Any payment made before your interview is not refundable. The bond will be returned if you respect the terms of your visa," the notification reads.

The US State Department on Wednesday announced it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are considered likely to depend on public assistance while living in the United States. The department, headed by Secretary Marco Rubio, said consular officers have been instructed to halt immigrant visa applications from the affected countries under a broader order issued in November that tightened rules for prospective immigrants who may become “public charges” in the US. The suspension will take effect from January 21 and will not apply to non-immigrant visas, including temporary tourist or business visas. “The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said in a statement. “Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.” The list of affected countries includes Russia, Iran and Afghanistan, along with several nations in Africa, according to the department. The Trump administration has already imposed strict restrictions on immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them in Africa.

The government on Wednesday said it remains hopeful of a smooth transition through the national election but wants to prevent the arrival of any “unexpected individuals” from abroad who may attempt to create an undesirable situation during the election period. “We are not stopping the issuance of visas. Those who wish to come may apply for visas, and we will issue them as long as their purpose is valid,” Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responding to a journalist’s query regarding reports of the suspension of visa-on-arrival facilities. “You know, during the election period, there may be attempts to create unexpected situations. Some unwanted individuals may try to enter the country suddenly,” he said. The Foreign Adviser said the Ministry of Home Affairs is truly better positioned to comment on the matter but acknowledged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received instructions in this regard. Read more: Bangladesh issues special visa guidelines ahead of national election  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Bhutan on Tuesday informed the general public that the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Thimphu has officially conveyed that the government of Bangladesh has suspended the “Visa on Arrival” facility for all eligible countries, including Bhutan, with effect from January 15 to February 15. In view of this, Bhutan said, all Bhutanese nationals intending to travel to Bangladesh during the above period are advised to apply for a visa in advance through the Embassy of Bangladesh in Thimphu prior to their travel. The Bhutanese Ministry advised all travelers to take note of this change and make the necessary arrangements well in advance to avoid any inconvenience. Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain on January 8 confirmed that they have asked its three key diplomatic missions in India to keep their visa sections closed for a time being on security grounds. “What I have done is that I have asked our three missions to keep their visa sections closed for the time being. It’s a security issue,” he said while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time. Read more: Foreign Adviser communicates with Pakistani counterpart ahead of OIC ministerial meet on Somalia Asked about the matter, Hossain on Wednesday had taken the decision due to a special situation, noting that they have to look after the security of the missions.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday (January 08, 2026) confirmed that they have asked its three key diplomatic missions in India to keep their visa sections closed for a time being on security grounds. “What I have done is that I have asked our three missions to keep their visa sections closed for the time being. It’s a security issue,” he said while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Though he did not mention the names of the missions, a diplomatic source said the three missions are Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and Bangladesh Assistant High Commission Agartala. There are Bangladesh Missions stationed in Mumbai and Chennai, too. Read more: Delhi summons Bangladesh envoy amid growing tensions Responding to a question on cricketers’ safety issue, the Foreign Adviser said he fully supports what Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul had said. Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul reaffirmed on Wednesday that Bangladesh will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, reiterating the nation’s demand to have their matches relocated to co-host Sri Lanka. Speaking to the media following a meeting with directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Asif Nazrul said while the nation is eager to participate it cannot be at the expense of national dignity or player safety. “We have discussed the situation. The Bangladesh team played hard and fought to qualify for the T20 World Cup, and as a cricket-crazy nation, we certainly want to play in the World Cup,” he said. “We will certainly play outside India,” said Foreign Adviser Hossain. Asked about the impact of this in bilateral relations, the Foreign Adviser said this issue came afresh though at various times various issues came and each issue will have negative impacts to some extent. Read more: Bangladesh voices concern to India over attacks on missions Talking about keeping business relations unhurt, the Adviser said if they find their interest in purchasing rice at a cheaper price, the business people will go for that. Asked about Bangladesh’s ‘potential interest’ in procuring the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft from Pakistan, the Foreign Adviser said, “I can’t tell about this today. Talks are underway. You will know once things are finalised.”

The United States has expanded a visa bond policy to include Bangladesh and 24 other countries, requiring citizens of these nations to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 as part of their application for a U.S. visitor visa, according to the U.S. State Department website. Under the updated programme, passport holders from the newly added countries could be asked to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 at the time of their visa interview if they are otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 tourism or business visa. Read more: Offline Indian visa services remain suspended in Khulna Payment must be made through the U.S. Treasury’s online platform, Pay.gov. The list of affected countries now totals 38, mainly from South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to Bangladesh, the expanded roster includes nations such as Algeria, Cuba, Nepal, Nigeria and Venezuela. The new requirements are set to take effect January 21, 2026. U.S. officials say the bond requirement is intended to discourage visitors from overstaying their visas. However, the policy has drawn criticism for potentially making travel to the U.S. unaffordable for many applicants from developing countries. Although paying a bond does not guarantee a visa, applicants who are denied or who comply with visa terms can receive refunds. Read more: Bangladesh suspends all visa, consular services from its Missions in Delhi, Agartala The bond expansion is part of broader tightening of U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump, including increased deportations, visa and green card revocations, and extended scrutiny of applicants’ social media histories, all defended by the administration as measures to enhance national security.

Bangladesh has suspended all visa and consular services from its Missions in New Delhi and Agartala. “Due to unavoidable circumstances, all consular & visa services from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi are temporarily suspended until further notice,” said the High Commission in its notice, adding, “Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.” Bangladesh Assistant High Commission Agartala also issued a similar notice. “This is to inform all concerned that due to unavoidable circumstances all visa and consular services at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala will remain closed from tomorrow, 23 December 2025, until further notice.” Keeping humanitarian needs in mind and despite the evolving security situation, the High Commission of India continues to operate the visa centers at Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi, said officials at the Indian Visa Application Centre.  Read more: Offline Indian visa services remain suspended in Khulna High Commissioner Pranay Verma visited the Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) at the Jamuna Future Park on Monday to take stock of the functioning of the visa services.  He also interacted with visa applicants, many of whom were applying for medical visas to go to India for treatment. Given the "serious threats" last week at the Indian High Commission and its installations in Bangladesh, HCI had to shut down the operations at IVAC, JFP for a day last week, officials at IVAC said.  It was later opened and all the applicants whose appointment slots fell on that day were given an early alternative slot. Several people who apply for visas are travelling to India for treatment of serious medical conditions.  The IVAC at Chittagong is temporarily shut down following the mob attack at the entrance of AHCI Chittagong in the night of 18-19 December during which stone pelting and threats to break the entrance created serious insecurities for the AHC and other officials who live inside the same premises. Read more: Pranay Verma visits Indian visa centre in Dhaka During the visit of HC to IVAC, IVAC officials flagged the problems of large amounts of fake documents being submitted and also the disruption created by middlemen and touts who try to hack into visa servers and create artificial traffic depriving common visa applicants from genuine slots.  The High Commissioner assured to raise the concerns with relevant authorities in Bangladesh.

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has urged Bahrain to reopen visa facilities for Bangladeshi citizens, including businesspeople, professionals, and skilled and semi-skilled workers, to boost people-to-people contact and economic engagement between the two countries. He made the request during a meeting with Bahrain’s Deputy Interior Minister Adel bin Khalifa Al Fadhel in Manama on Sunday. The Foreign Adviser also urged the Bahraini authorities to consider issuing family visas for Bangladeshi nationals residing in the Kingdom. Bangladesh praises Bahrain’s role in promoting Middle East stability Acknowledging the contributions of the Bangladeshi community to Bahrain’s economy, the Deputy Interior Minister said his government is actively working to reopen visa facilities for Bangladeshi citizens in phases. Both sides also discussed the possibility of concluding an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between Bangladesh and Bahrain. Foreign Adviser Hossain is in Bahrain to attend the sessions and side events of the 21st Manama Dialogue, which brings together global leaders and policymakers to discuss key regional and international security issues. On the sidelines of the event, he held a series of bilateral meetings focused on strengthening regional peace, cooperation and bilateral relations. Read more: Bangladesh reaffirms solidarity with Qatar over security, sovereignty

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer criticizing the weak power of the Indian passport went viral. He pointed out that while countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka are welcoming to Indian tourists, getting visas to most Western and European destinations remains difficult. His frustration mirrors the findings of the latest Henley Passport Index, which ranks passports based on visa-free travel access. India slipped five places this year to the 85th spot out of 199 countries, marking another decline in global mobility. The Indian government has yet to comment on the report. The BBC has reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs for clarification. Countries with smaller economies—such as Rwanda (78th), Ghana (74th), and Azerbaijan (72nd)—rank higher than India, despite India being the world’s fifth-largest economy. Over the past decade, India’s passport ranking has generally stayed in the 80s, even falling to 90th in 2021. This contrasts sharply with Asian nations like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, which have consistently dominated the top positions. Read more: Getting e-passport without police verification in Bangladesh: Documents, fees, and online application process For the second consecutive year, Singapore topped the list, offering visa-free access to 193 countries, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189). In comparison, Indian passport holders can visit 57 countries visa-free, sharing the 85th position with Mauritania. A Reflection of Soft Power and Global Influence Passport rankings reflect not only travel convenience but also a nation’s soft power, diplomatic ties, and global reputation. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer privileges, and longer approval times. However, despite the drop in rank, the number of countries granting visa-free access to Indian citizens has increased over the years. In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP came to power, Indians had visa-free access to 52 countries, and the passport ranked 76th. By 2024, that number rose to 62 countries, though India’s rank still slipped to 85th in 2025. Experts say this decline is mainly due to growing global competition. More countries are signing reciprocal visa-free agreements to boost tourism and trade. According to Henley & Partners’ 2025 report, the average number of visa-free destinations worldwide has nearly doubled—from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025. Read more: Digital Nomad Visas in Europe in 2026: Top 10 European Countries China, for instance, has expanded its visa-free access from 50 to 82 countries in the past decade, improving its rank from 94th to 60th. India’s ranking, meanwhile, dropped from 77th in July 2025 to 85th in October, after losing visa-free access to two countries. Beyond Diplomacy: Other Factors at Play Former Indian ambassador Achal Malhotra says that factors such as political stability, security, and openness to foreign citizens also influence a country’s passport strength. For example, the U.S. passport, once among the most powerful, has fallen to 12th place, partly due to its inward-looking foreign policy. Mr Malhotra notes that in the 1970s, Indians could travel visa-free to many Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s, which raised concerns about India’s internal stability. Read more: 7 Most Affordable Countries for Citizenship by Investment in 2026 He adds that high emigration rates and cases of visa overstays have made some nations more cautious about granting Indians visa-free access. Moreover, issues such as passport fraud and slow immigration processes also affect India’s standing. In 2024, Delhi Police arrested 203 individuals for alleged passport and visa fraud. A Path Forward Technological advances like India’s new e-passport, which stores biometric data on a secure chip, could help strengthen document security and streamline border checks. But experts agree that diplomatic outreach and bilateral travel agreements will be crucial for improving the global mobility of Indian citizens—and restoring the strength of the Indian passport on the world stage. Source: BBC Read more: Bangladesh moves up one step in global passport strength index

Saudi Arabia is preparing to shorten the validity period of Umrah visas from three months to one month in a move aimed at better managing the growing influx of pilgrims, according to a report by Al Arabiya.net. Citing official sources, the Saudi news outlet said the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will soon implement the change, reducing the visa’s validity to 30 days from the date of issuance. The new regulation is expected to take effect next week. Since the beginning of the new Umrah season in early June, more than four million Umrah visas have been issued to international pilgrims — a record figure in less than five months. Under the revised rules, a visa will be automatically cancelled 30 days after issuance if the holder fails to enter the Kingdom within that period. However, the adjustment will not impact the duration of stay for those who arrive in Saudi Arabia, as Umrah pilgrims will still be permitted to remain in the country for up to three months. Read more: Bangladesh urges Saudi Arabia to maint 1,000-pilgrim Hajj quota per agency The decision aims to prevent overcrowding in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina during the cooler months, said Ahmed Bajafar, advisor to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit. Although Umrah rituals are performed only in Makkah, many pilgrims also visit Medina to offer prayers at the Prophet Mohammad’s mosque during their trip. Earlier in October, Saudi Arabia tightened Umrah procedures, requiring advance booking of accommodation and verification of transportation arrangements on the Nusuk or Masar platforms upon arrival. The Kingdom has also reiterated that visitors holding any type of visa are eligible to perform Umrah during their stay. With input from Khaleej Times Read more: How to Perform Umrah from Bangladesh?