Sri Lanka halts on-arrival visa, Bangladesh replies with same

In reciprocal move that started from the side of Sri Lanka, issuance of on-arrival visas between Colombo and Dhaka is currently at halt without any notion as to when it might resume.

Bangladesh foreign ministry said it is surprised by Sri Lanka's "unprecedented" halt of on-arrival visas for Bangladeshis and added Colombo did not officially cite any reason for its actions.

Sri Lanka stopped issuing on-arrival visas for Bangladeshis last week, a foreign ministry source said seeking anonymity. "We have confirmation of such a decision through our mission in Colombo."

In response to the incident, Bangladesh government too stopped issuing on-arrival visas for Sri Lankans – an action that came last week, the source told The Daily Star.

However, he could not elaborate on how the issue is being addressed from both sides and what steps are being taken to put an end to the stalemate that has arisen.