High Commission of India, Dhaka
December 14, 2005
PRESS RELEASE
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The High Commission of India, Dhaka, has decided to outsource collection of visa applications to a separate Visa Application Centre in order to ease the congestion that prevails at the High Commission premises on working days and to alleviate the difficulties of the visa applicants. This will enable the applicants to submit visa applications between 8 am and 2 pm and, therefore, there will be no necessity of queuing for long periods outside the premises of the High Commission. This new arrangement will replace the existing system of visa agents in Dhaka.Indian Visa Application Centre will be managed by the State Bank of India in Dhaka who will provide necessary services for this purpose. A modern five-storied building has been hired by the State Bank of India for the Centre where the applicants will be able to apply in the comfort of an air conditioned environment. For those applicants who are unable to fill the forms themselves, help will be provided at the designated “help desk”.
Applicants may note the following:
· The citizens of Bangladesh are now required to apply in new application forms which are available at the Centre and can also be downloaded from the Mission’s web site at www.hcidhaka.org
· Applicants should carefully ensure that they fulfill all necessary conditions and attach necessary documents as provided in the instruction sheets of the new application forms. This is important to prevent their application from being rejected.All applicants are, therefore, requested to apply at the Indian Visa Application Centre between 0800 hrs to 1400 hrs (on all working days) at the following address:-
Indian Visa Application Centre
House No. 12, Lake View, Road No. 137,
Gulshan I, Dhaka 1212.
Phone: 0189 – 217953
E-mail: sbidhaka@bangla.net
sbibd@bangla.netThe designated time for collection of passports will be between 1600 hrs and 1900 hrs each day for nationals of Bangladesh. For nationals of other countries, passports can be deposited and collected between 1000 hrs and 1200 hrs on all working days.
The High Commission of India will not be charging any visa fee from Bangladeshi citizens. However, the State Bank of India will levy a service charge of Tk 173.90 per passport, plus VAT, which comes to Tk 200.00 per application.
The Indian Visa Application Centre will be jointly inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs of the Government of India, His Excellency Mr E. Ahamed, on 18 December 2005, at 1600 hrs and Hon’ble State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, H.E. Major (Rtd) Mohammed Quamrul Islam.
The Indian Visa Application Centre will, thereafter, start functioning from 19 December 2005. From this date on, applicants for Indian visas should therefore apply at the above-mentioned address instead of the High Commission of India.
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