Tripura MP wants easy visa for Bangladeshis

A Lok Sabha member from Tripura Wednesday said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has assured him that her ministry would take steps to provide hassle-free visa to Bangladeshis willing to visit India.

"External Affairs Minister (Sushma) Swaraj assured me that she would take appropriate steps to provide visa without any trouble to Bangladeshi citizens keen to visit India," Jitendra Chaudhury told IANS over phone from New Delhi.

Chaudhury, a Communist Party of India-Marxist lawmaker and former Tripura industries and commerce minister, met Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi Tuesday and submitted a memorandum requesting her to issue easy visas to Bangladeshis.

Chaudhury explained to the minister about the hardship faced by Bangladeshis to obtain visas to visit India, specially Tripura and other northeastern states.

Highlighting the strategic location of the northeastern region and its proximity to Bangladesh, Chaudhury said there were scope to set up joint venture projects by Bangladeshi and Indian investors in the resource rich region.

"There is a long pending demand of the trade communities, exporters and importers and other businessmen, students, academicians, sports persons and cultural activists for issuance of multiple visa to the persons, who intend to visit northeastern states for the purposes of trade, research, higher studies, sports and cultural exchange programmes," the MP said in the memorandum.

"For economic development of northeastern states, please encourage Bangladeshi investors and traders to visit the region more frequently."