Shawdesh desk:

Bangladesh and India on Wednesday launched commercial flights under the air bubble mechanism in a major development to boost bilateral ties amid pandemic.

Bangladesh is one of the 14 countries in the world have the Air Bubble mechanism with India.

Inaugurating the Air Bubble at a simple ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Indian High Commission in Bangladesh hopes to start tourist visas in Bangladesh soon.

“From the High Commission we will do all to put our visa services back to the highest possible level,” Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami said while inaugurating the air bubble between India and Bangladesh today morning.

While addressing as chief guest the event at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, he said they want to ensure that more friends of Bangladesh who want to travel to India can do that.

“We hope to start the tourist visa services soon,” he said.

Under the air bubble agreement, 28 flights from each country will fly every week, connecting five Indian cities.

Five Indian airlines — Air India, IndiGo, Spice Jet, Vistara and Go Air and three Bangladeshi airlines — Biman Bangladesh, US Bangla and Novo Air will operate flights.

Indian High Commission is now issuing visas for medical, business, employment , entry, journalist, diplomatic, official, UN official and UN diplomatic visas.

It may be mentioned that two flights of US-Bangla Airlines operated flights to Kolkata and Chennai on the first day of the bilateral flight today.

Air Vice Marshal M. Mafidur Rahman, Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) also spoke on the inaugural session. Senior officials from CAAB, US-Bangla Airlines, high commission of India were present on the occasion.