Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma has announced that India has resumed issuing business visas to Bangladeshi nationals, despite operating with limited staff and reduced processing capacity.
Urgent applications, he said, are now being handled on a priority basis.
Verma made the remarks on Wednesday, November 19, at Pharma Connect, a networking and knowledge-exchange event organised at the Indian High Commission in Baridhara.
The event brought together senior executives and officials from Bangladesh’s leading pharmaceutical companies, many of whom reiterated longstanding concerns over visa delays and urged smoother cross-border transport of pharmaceutical raw materials and finished goods.
The programme was held ahead of Bangladesh’s participation in CPHI-PMEC India 2025, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical exhibitions, scheduled for 25–27 November in New Delhi.
The High Commissioner explained that several visa application centres had to be temporarily closed due to law-and-order challenges and capacity limitations. Even so, he said, visa issuance has now resumed on a “significant” scale, albeit with a reduced workforce.
“Business visas are being issued again,” Verma said. “We are trying to process urgent visa applications quickly.” He added that applicants needing business visas may seek assistance directly from the High Commission’s Economic and Trade wing.
At the event, industry leaders emphasised the urgent need for a streamlined visa process.
Abdul Muktadir, President of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) and Managing Director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals, said initiatives like Pharma Connect can strengthen collaboration on technology transfer, research and development, and supply-chain integration.
“Bangladesh’s raw-material industry is growing, while India is already far ahead,” Muktadir said. “Because we share a land border, sourcing raw materials from India would make us more competitive.”
BAPI Secretary General Dr Zakir Hossain noted that visa complications have sharply reduced the number of Bangladeshi representatives attending this year’s CPHI-PMEC fair. “Usually hundreds participate, but only 83 have applied this time,” he said, urging special consideration for business travellers and a further simplification of India’s business-visa process.