Unscrupulous Agents Block Indian Visa Slots in Advance, Deputy High Commissioner Promises Less Suffering

India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pawan Badhe, has pointed the finger at unscrupulous agents as the main cause of the suffering over Indian visa slots. He said unscrupulous agents block the slots well in advance, as a result of which ordinary citizens are deprived of getting slots.

He said these things while talking to local journalists on Sunday, having come to visit the puja mandap of Danbir Ranadaprasad Saha at Mirzapur in Tangail. He also said many changes are being introduced so that the people of Bangladesh can get Indian visas directly with even less suffering.

In reply to journalists’ questions, Pawan Badhe said, ‘The main problem is with the slots. Because, of course, we cannot get around travel agents completely; many unscrupulous agents are working here who have their own interests. They block the slots well in advance, as a result of which ordinary citizens are deprived of getting visa slots and unfortunately have to turn to those agents.’

An Indian visa slot means the designated opportunity or appointment, on a specific date and time, for submitting a visa application. There have long been complaints that because those appointments are blocked in advance, ordinary applicants have to face extra money and harassment.

The Deputy High Commissioner said efforts are continuously being made to improve the visa-issuance system day by day. In his words, ‘We have added more IT and security features to the website, so that ordinary people can apply directly themselves and get a visa.’

He also said quite some change has come in the last few months and many people are now able to apply for visas directly themselves and get visas without going to agents. That is, he claims the path of direct application is gradually widening.

On this trip to visit the puja mandap, he praised the Kumudini Hospital and other establishments founded by Danbir Ranadaprasad Saha. He said, ‘The cultural heritage of Bangladesh and India is largely identical. The Durga Puja celebrations in our country are also nearly the same.’

Earlier in the evening, when he arrived at the Kumudini campus, Mahabir Pati Chandan, a director of the Kumudini Welfare Trust, welcomed him. Among others present at the time were Abdul Halim, principal of Kumudini Women’s Medical College, and Animesh Bhowmik, deputy director of Kumudini Hospital.

After visiting the Kumudini Library, Pawan Badhe crossed the Louhajang River by bajra boat and went to the puja mandap at Randa’s house. There he enjoyed an aarti performance by the students of Bharateswari Homes. Present at the time were Rajib Prasad Saha, managing director of the Kumudini Welfare Trust, director Srimati Saha and Pradip Kumar Roy, director of Kumudini Hospital, among others.

The practical significance of the Deputy High Commissioner’s statement for visa seekers is this — as the cause of the slot crisis, the authorities themselves have identified unscrupulous middlemen and have spoken of strengthening the direct application system. However, how far the slot-blocking ring can be broken and how much ordinary people’s suffering will actually decrease will depend on how effective the new IT and security features added to the website prove to be in the field.