Tripura MP meets Swaraj on Bangladesh

In a stark contrast to Assam's opposition for relaxing visa regime for Bangladesh nationals visiting India, Tripura is battling for them. Tripura’s Lok Sabha MP Jitendra Chaudhury has met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and urged her to relax the visa regime for Bangladeshis intending to visit India. Chaudhury lauded the new government for agreeing to issue five year multiple entry visas for Bangladeshis below 13 and above 65 intending to visit India. The Indian ministry for external affairs had planned to allow visa free travel for these age groups but had to back after furious protests from Assam’s chief minister Tarun Gogoi, the BJP’s Assam unit and other regional parties in the state. ‘We want more travellers from Bangladesh to come to our states and we want relaxed visa regime for them. Students, businesspeople, tourists – we want them all from Bangladesh and if the visas are easy to get, they will come,’ said Chaudhury, while speaking to local website Tripura Infoway, according to bdnews24.com.