India has elevated its High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, to the protocol status of a Union Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence for ceremonial functions, a move that underscores the strategic importance New Delhi places on ties with its eastern neighbour.
Cabinet Minister-equivalent rank for ceremonial events
An Office Memorandum issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 24 confirmed that Trivedi has been assigned a rank equivalent to a Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence. The measure is personal to him and does not amend the existing order. The special dispensation applies only to ceremonial functions, meaning Trivedi will be placed alongside Union Cabinet Ministers during official state ceremonies and events, though it carries no executive authority.
The decision is unusual for a serving High Commissioner and is widely viewed as a reflection of the strategic importance New Delhi attaches to Bangladesh, a key neighbour central to India’s connectivity, security, and neighbourhood policies.
Tourist visa resumption from June 28
Alongside the protocol upgrade, Trivedi announced the resumption of tourist visa applications for Bangladeshi nationals, starting June 28. “I am very happy to announce that we are resuming tourist visa applications, which can be submitted from Sunday, June 28,” the High Commissioner said in Dhaka.
He added that India would continue to facilitate medical visas in urgent cases on humanitarian grounds. Initially, visa applications will be processed through five visa centres, with operations to be gradually expanded to other cities. “We hope that this will further strengthen people-to-people ties between our two sovereign nations,” Trivedi said.
Impact on cross-border travel
The resumption is expected to facilitate cross-border travel that had been affected by visa restrictions. Before the curbs, India was among the most preferred destinations for Bangladeshi tourists, students, and medical travellers. The easing of restrictions is likely to boost people-to-people contacts and economic exchanges between the two countries.
The announcements came as Trivedi formally assumed charge in Dhaka after presenting his credentials to Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban. During the ceremony, the High Commissioner conveyed greetings from the government and people of India and reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to further strengthening the multifaceted India-Bangladesh partnership for the mutual benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
