No handwritten passport for Indian visa from Sept 1

The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) will not accept any handwritten passport from early next month in Bangladesh. In a statement, it said no no handwritten passport will be accepted for Indian visa from September 1. The decision was taken in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation guidelines for discontinuing use of hand written passports. India is a major destination for Bangladeshis — students, shoppers, and those seeking medical treatment making up the bulk of visa-seekers. According to Indian tourism ministry statistics, Bangladesh has replaced the UK as the second highest source of foreign tourist arrivals in India in 2014. The number of tourists from Bangladesh went up to 942,562 in 2014 from 524,923 the previous year. In 2013, the number of tourist arrivals in India from Bangladesh was third highest after the US and the UK, according to a news agency.
- biplab