India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Bangladeshi citizens after nearly two years, bringing relief to travellers and sparking celebrations among businesses in Kolkata that rely heavily on Bangladeshi visitors.

From Sunday, Indian Visa Application Centres (IVACs) in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet began accepting online applications for tourist visas, marking the restoration of a key travel service suspended for an extended period..

The announcement follows a visit by newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi to the IVAC at Jamuna Future Park on Thursday, where he said tourist visa services would initially resume at five centres before being expanded gradually, depending on capacity and demand.

The decision has also been welcomed in Kolkata, where traders in New Market, Marquis Street and Free School Street celebrated the return of Bangladeshi tourists by distributing sweets.

Business associations in the city held meetings to discuss measures to improve services and ensure the safety of Bangladeshi visitors. Plans include enhancing CCTV surveillance, upgrading infrastructure and creating a more tourist-friendly environment.

According to local traders, the suspension of tourist visas after August 5, 2024 severely affected businesses in New Market, Marquis Street, Free School Street, Sadar Street and Lindsay Street. Many shop owners experienced sharp declines in sales, while some were forced to take loans or close their businesses.

Monotosh Saha, president of the Marquis Street�”Free School Street Traders’ Welfare Association, said the past two years had been extremely difficult and expressed hope that the return of Bangladeshi tourists would revive business activity.

Sanjay Majumdar, owner of Green Line Paribahan, said transport operators had struggled to survive by relying solely on medical visa passengers and expected normal business to return with the resumption of tourist travel.

Kamruddin Malik, owner of Cotton Gallery, said business at New Market had dropped by nearly 60 percent over the past two years. Kusum, an employee at Globe Pharmacy, said Bangladeshi visitors are regular buyers of medicines, cosmetics and other products, and their return would provide a significant boost to local businesses.

The reopening of tourist visas is expected to facilitate travel for Bangladeshi tourists, patients and businesspeople while helping revive Kolkata’s tourism-dependent economy.