With Bangladesh just a couple of years away from officially graduating to a middle income economy and shedding its tag of being a least developed country, it is imperative for it to continue to build stronger relationships with all nations, but equally important is fortifying its existing relationships with countries it has historically had stronger ties with.
To that end, news that Bangladeshis can now apply for Indian visas without submitting their passports marks yet another positive step in the long-standing friendship that exists between Bangladesh and India.
Such steps no doubt will also help with efficiency in processing visas; it is a shame that so much time continues to be lost standing in queues and we hope that this sparks change across visa centres to avoid unnecessary wait times.
Bangladesh and India have been staunch allies since our very inception, and it is pro-active, positive initiatives such as this that help nations take an already established alliance to the next level.
Indeed, it would be wise for India and Bangladesh to continue their discussions and outline other issues that may still be lingering, such as water sharing and border control, and iron those out. Similarly, there remain several avenues such as Infrastructure and trade where the two nations can continue to make progress.
With both nations sharing ambitious goals for the future, now is as good a time for these two long-standing allies to assess all the key areas they can collaborate further, and together, succeed in fulfilling these ambitions.