Stopping on-arrival visa for Bangladeshis a mistake: Sri Lanka

Necessary directives have been issued to reverse the decision to stop on-arrival visas for Bangladeshi citizens, reported BBC Bangla yesterday quoting Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Harsha de Silva. Describing the move as a mistake, he said that his government has not taken any decision not to grant this facility to Bangladesh nationals.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also said that the chief of the Immigration Department of Sri Lanka took the decision on his own and that the Foreign Ministry is dissatisfied over this.
On September 7, Sri Lanka suddenly stopped issuing on-arrival visas for Bangladesh citizens without informing Bangladeshi authorities, prompting Bangladesh to retaliate with the same action.
In addition, the Foreign Ministry yesterday afternoon summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Dhaka Yasoja Gunasekera to the ministry.
During a meeting that lasted more than an hour, Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral and Consular) Kamrul Ahsan voiced Dhaka’s dissatisfaction over the development and wanted to know the reason or reasons. In response, the High Commissioner said that she herself does not know the details and that she will come back to the Foreign Ministry after consulting her Foreign Ministry in Colombo.
“I am still trying to figure out the answer myself. I was not given any indication…nor the Foreign Ministry,” she told The Independent after emerging from the meeting when asked about the reason behind the bar on on-arrival visas.
Meanwhile, according to diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Colombo, it appears that the on-arrival visa facility for Bangladeshi citizens will resume soon.
“As of evening on Thursday, the Sri Lankan immigration is not issuing on-arrival visas for Bangladeshis. But, I believe it will resume soon,” an official familiar with the development told The Independent. There is no Bangladeshi stranded at Sri Lankan airport, he said, adding that earlier the High Commission in Colombo facilitated entry of seven stranded Bangladeshi passengers.

 

Stopping on-arrival visa for Bangladeshis a mistake: Sri Lanka

Necessary directives have been issued to reverse the decision to stop on-arrival visas for Bangladeshi citizens, reported BBC Bangla yesterday quoting Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Harsha de Silva. Describing the move as a mistake, he said that his government has not taken any decision not to grant this facility to Bangladesh nationals. The Deputy Foreign Minister also said that the chief of the Immigration Department of Sri Lanka took the decision on his own and that the Foreign Ministry is dissatisfied over this. On September 7, Sri Lanka suddenly stopped issuing on-arrival visas for Bangladesh citizens without informing Bangladeshi authorities, prompting Bangladesh to retaliate with the same action. In addition, the Foreign Ministry yesterday afternoon summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Dhaka Yasoja Gunasekera to the ministry. During a meeting that lasted more than an hour, Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral and Consular) Kamrul Ahsan voiced Dhakas dissatisfaction over the development and wanted to know the reason or reasons. In response, the High Commissioner said that she herself does not know the details and that she will come back to the Foreign Ministry after consulting her Foreign Ministry in Colombo. I am still trying to figure out the answer myself. I was not given any indicationnor the Foreign Ministry, she told The Independent after emerging from the meeting when asked about the reason behind the bar on on-arrival visas. Meanwhile, according to diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Colombo, it appears that the on-arrival visa facility for Bangladeshi citizens will resume soon. As of evening on Thursday, the Sri Lankan immigration is not issuing on-arrival visas for Bangladeshis. But, I believe it will resume soon, an official familiar with the development told The Independent. There is no Bangladeshi stranded at Sri Lankan airport, he said, adding that earlier the High Commission in Colombo facilitated entry of seven stranded Bangladeshi passengers.