Staff Reporter :
Dhaka has stopped issuing on-arrival visa for Sri Lankan nationals retaliating to Colombo’s move for halting the same for Bangladeshi nationals on September 7, apparently without any prior information.
A Foreign Ministry official on Thursday said that Sri Lanka did not inform Dhaka before stopping issuance of on-arrival visas for Bangladeshi nationals. In this situation, Bangladesh also has stopped on-arrival visa facilities for Sri Lankan nationals, he said.
“Though Sri Lanka cancelled the facility of on-arrival visa,” the official further said, “The Mihin Lanka, a Sri Lankan airline that operates direct flight between Dhaka and Colombo, is still carrying
passengers between the two countries.” Officer-in-Charge [Immigration] of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Abdullah Al-Mamun has confirmed about the stoppage of on-arrival visa by both countries.
In this backdrop, Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MoFA] on Sunday summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Dhaka Yasoja Gunasekera to the ministry in an urgent move during the Eid-ul Azha holidays to get a clarification over the issue.
The meeting lasted for more than an hour where Additional Foreign Secretary [bilateral and consular] Kamrul Ahsan voiced Dhaka’s dissatisfaction over the issue. He also wanted to know the reason behind the sudden stoppage of visa. In response, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner said she herself did not know. She will inform Dhaka after consulting her Foreign Ministry in Colombo. “I am still trying to figure out the answer myself. I was not given any indication,” the Sri Lankan envoy said.
When she was asked whether the on-arrival visa will resume soon, the high commissioner said, “Bangladeshis are always welcome in Sri Lanka. We value Bangladeshi visitors coming to Sri Lanka because more people-to-people contacts help build this valuable relationship.”
It was learnt that, the Sri Lankan action came as a surprise to the Bangladesh foreign officials.
Meanwhile, the Daily News of Sri Lanka said: Despite reports that Sri Lanka has ended its visa on-arrival service for Bangladeshi visitors, Controller General of Immigration and Emigration M. N. Ranasinghe said that this is not the case. “There is no change in the policy. Bangladeshis can apply for a visa online or get a visa on-arrival,” he said. Controller of Visa and Border Management M. B. Weerasekara, however, stated that the cancellation of the on-arrival visa policy was due to security concerns. “We are not banning them from the country. They can apply for a visa online and receive it in one or two days,” he said. The Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo stated that many Sri Lankan citizens are stranded in Dhaka, as they await reconciliation between the two countries.
Some Sri Lankan newspapers, however, reported that Colombo took the decision to check infiltration of IS [Islamic State] militants in the wake of terror threat in the South Asia region. The restriction was also imposed on several other countries, including Bangladesh.
Dhaka has stopped issuing on-arrival visa for Sri Lankan nationals retaliating to Colombo’s move for halting the same for Bangladeshi nationals on September 7, apparently without any prior information.
A Foreign Ministry official on Thursday said that Sri Lanka did not inform Dhaka before stopping issuance of on-arrival visas for Bangladeshi nationals. In this situation, Bangladesh also has stopped on-arrival visa facilities for Sri Lankan nationals, he said.
“Though Sri Lanka cancelled the facility of on-arrival visa,” the official further said, “The Mihin Lanka, a Sri Lankan airline that operates direct flight between Dhaka and Colombo, is still carrying
passengers between the two countries.” Officer-in-Charge [Immigration] of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Abdullah Al-Mamun has confirmed about the stoppage of on-arrival visa by both countries.
In this backdrop, Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MoFA] on Sunday summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Dhaka Yasoja Gunasekera to the ministry in an urgent move during the Eid-ul Azha holidays to get a clarification over the issue.
The meeting lasted for more than an hour where Additional Foreign Secretary [bilateral and consular] Kamrul Ahsan voiced Dhaka’s dissatisfaction over the issue. He also wanted to know the reason behind the sudden stoppage of visa. In response, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner said she herself did not know. She will inform Dhaka after consulting her Foreign Ministry in Colombo. “I am still trying to figure out the answer myself. I was not given any indication,” the Sri Lankan envoy said.
When she was asked whether the on-arrival visa will resume soon, the high commissioner said, “Bangladeshis are always welcome in Sri Lanka. We value Bangladeshi visitors coming to Sri Lanka because more people-to-people contacts help build this valuable relationship.”
It was learnt that, the Sri Lankan action came as a surprise to the Bangladesh foreign officials.
Meanwhile, the Daily News of Sri Lanka said: Despite reports that Sri Lanka has ended its visa on-arrival service for Bangladeshi visitors, Controller General of Immigration and Emigration M. N. Ranasinghe said that this is not the case. “There is no change in the policy. Bangladeshis can apply for a visa online or get a visa on-arrival,” he said. Controller of Visa and Border Management M. B. Weerasekara, however, stated that the cancellation of the on-arrival visa policy was due to security concerns. “We are not banning them from the country. They can apply for a visa online and receive it in one or two days,” he said. The Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo stated that many Sri Lankan citizens are stranded in Dhaka, as they await reconciliation between the two countries.
Some Sri Lankan newspapers, however, reported that Colombo took the decision to check infiltration of IS [Islamic State] militants in the wake of terror threat in the South Asia region. The restriction was also imposed on several other countries, including Bangladesh.
