Bangladesh Removes Visa Requirement for Pakistanis

Bangladesh has officially lifted the visa requirement for Pakistani officials for a period of five years, media outlets reported on Saturday.

According to international reports, holders of diplomatic and official passports from both Bangladesh and Pakistan will now enjoy visa-free travel between the two countries.

The decision was approved by Bangladesh’s interim government, headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. His press secretary, Shafique Islam, announced at a press conference in Dhaka that “similar agreements already exist between Bangladesh and 31 other countries.”

Islam further confirmed that under this new arrangement, Pakistani officials will also be granted visa-free access to Bangladesh.

This marks the resumption of a facility that had been suspended since the 1971 war. The development follows last month’s meeting in Dhaka between Bangladeshi Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, where both sides indicated they were finalising a memorandum of understanding for visa-on-arrival for official passport holders.