Indian visa hassle
For two consecutive days, I have unsuccessfully stood in queue for submitting my application for Indian visa at the Indian Visa Application Centre at Gulshan, Dhaka, and returned home disappointed and sick. I joined the queue very early in the morning but found hundreds of others in queue since midnight. Being an elderly person it was a torture for me to stand in queue for hours and then return home disappointed. Adding to my woes while in queue was pestering of brokers who were asking for Tk. 2500.00 for getting you a visa or Tk. 1000.00 for placing you forward in the queue!
After my disappointments and failures, I was wondering in this world of Internet Technology and hi tech, why doesn't the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) think of providing facilities to applicants to get appointment through Internet for submission of applications. Maybe IVAC can launch a website wherein an applicant on providing his/her name, address and passport number can get an automated reply showing his date of appointment for submission of application form for visa. After every five hundred appointments, next appointment can be for the following days and so on. An applicant will show up at IVAC with a copy of his/her appointment note to submit his application. Application for medical cases, diplomats, govt. officials, VIPs may be dealt with separately.
Interestingly enough, I found out while talking to fellow applicants in queue that like myself none of them needed visa urgently and were willing to wait for a few days for granting of visa. The urgency is for submitting the application. Many have expressed fear that after the commencement of train service, rush for travel to India will increase manifold. I am sure IVAC can find out ways to lessen the miseries of applicants in this age of hi tech.
I hope my letter will get the attention of the Indian High Commission and IVAC. Meanwhile, my sympathy goes to residents around IVAC who must be passing through nightmares round the clock!
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