Dhaka, July 14 :  Visiting Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday inaugurated the world's largest state-of-the-art visa centre here with modern facilities, promising shorter waiting times for applicants.


Singh inaugurated the integrated centre at Jamuna Future Park (JFP) along with his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, reports bdnews24.

Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was also present, told the media that "this is the largest Indian visa centre in the world and possibly the largest anywhere".

The new centre will replace the existing centres in Motijheel and Uttara from July 15.

The remaining two centres in Dhaka -- at Gulshan and Mirpur Road -- will also be shifted to this centre, located in a spacious 18,500 square feet commercial area, by August 31.

The existing e-token (appointment) system for submission of visa applications will also be withdrawn from July 15.

Bangladeshis constitute one of the largest numbers of visitors from a single country to India, the report said. Last year the country issued 1.4 million visas to Bangladeshi nationals.

India has 12 visa centres in Bangladesh, which is the highest number the former has in any country in the world, the report said.

India issues five-year multiple entry visas for freedom fighters, senior citizens and businessmen.

On Friday, Singh tweeted that India and Bangladesh have made "notable progress in transforming our land and maritime boundaries into zones of peace and tranquillity".

His three-day visit is taking place in the context of the Home-Minister level talks held on a regular basis between India and Bangladesh, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said.

The last such talks were held in New Delhi in July 2016.

Issues tied to security, border management, cooperation in countering illegal activities and travel arrangements are expected to be discussed at a meeting on Sunday.

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Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to release Mihir Shah, the main accused in a BMW hit-and-run case, on the ground of "illegal" arrest.

Shah, the 24-year-old son of a former Shiv Sena leader, and his driver Rajrishi Bidawat had filed petitions in the HC claiming they have been illegally detained and sought immediate release.

Shah was arrested on July 9, two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler in Mumbai's Worli area, killing 45-year-old woman Kaveri Nakhwa and leaving her husband Pradeep injured.

His driver Bidawat, who was also present in the car at the time of the accident, was arrested on the day of the incident.

As per their pleas, the police had not informed them the grounds of their arrest at the time, which they claimed was in violation of the law.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on Monday dismissed the petitions.

"Both the petitions are dismissed," the court said.

The duo sought their release, claiming any further detention would be in utter violation of the constitutional mandate and a failure to comply with Section 50 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Under this section, the police, while arresting a person, have to communicate to him/her full particulars of the offence for which he/she is being arrested or other grounds for such arrest.

Both Shah and Bidawat are presently in judicial custody.

In their habeas corpus (produce the person) petitions filed in the HC in August, Shah and Bidawat claimed their detention was illegal and sought that they be released immediately.

Shah, in the plea, sought quashing of the orders passed by a local court remanding him first in police custody and then judicial custody.

He also sought for his arrest to be declared as illegal.

Shah is accused of speeding off towards the Bandra Worli Sea Link after the accident, even as the woman remained on the bonnet of the car and then got entangled in its wheels, for a distance of more than 1.5 kilometres.

As per police, Shah, who fled from the scene, was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Mihir Shah's father and former Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah had also been arrested in the case, but was later granted bail.