More people-to-people contact under new visa pact with Bangladesh

NEW DELHI: The liberalised visa regime between India and Bangladesh will result in more people-to-people contact between the two countries, a top BSF official said today.

"The recent signing of the liberalised visa agreement will bring about more people-to-people contact between the two countries. Also, the extradition treaty will help in having access to criminals wanted by both the countries," BSF Director General Subhash Joshi told reporters here.

The chief of the border guarding force said India also discussed a number of border-related issues during the recent visit of Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to Dhaka.

Shinde had signed the agreements with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir during the visit to Dhaka, which yielded a "revised travel arrangement" under which both the countries eased their visa regimes for several categories of people.

Under the revised travel arrangements, a previous provision of restricting visits for tourism within two months was waived.

The new provision allows issuance of multiple entry visas for one year compared to previous three months on medical grounds while for education purpose the visa period was extended for five years which previously was for two years and extendable on year-to-year basis.

The extradition treaty is also expected to pave way for the deportation of jailed ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia and other wanted persons.