WordCamp Asia 2026 will take place in Mumbai, a milestone moment for one of WordPress’s most active and fastest-growing communities. India has already hosted 12 WordCamps this year—more than any other country worldwide. But while the announcement, made at the close of this year’s event in Manila, was met with excitement, visa restrictions may prevent many contributors from neighboring Bangladesh from attending.
Diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh have led to India suspending visas for Bangladeshi nationals since late 2024, with little sign of improvement. The restrictions could prevent Bangladeshi contributors, organizers, sponsors, and attendees from joining next year’s event.
Bangladeshi community voices concern
WPManageNinja CMO Faizus Saleheen, who is based in the north-eastern Bangladeshi city of Sylhet, raised the issue on X, urging WordCamp Central to ensure that future host city selections don’t unintentionally exclude attendees due to political, religious, or diplomatic barriers.
“This isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it’s a huge roadblock for contributors, organizers, sponsors, and attendees who have been an active part of WCAsia every year,” he posted. “And unfortunately, this situation is unlikely to improve soon.”
Saleheen called the decision to select Mumbai as the WordCamp Asia 2026 host city “disappointing” given Bangladesh’s strong presence at previous WordCamp Asia events but voiced his support for the Indian WordPress community.
“The Indian community worked so hard over the years, contributed so much to the community, and to WordPress. They ARE the deserving candidate, IMHO,” he said, adding he hoped WordCamp Central could work with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to make it possible for the Bangladeshi WordPress community to attend.
“That’d mean a lot!” he said.
Even if visas resume, Saleheen warned that delays could still prevent many Bangladeshis from attending WordCamp Asia 2026.
“We’ve unofficially learned from local IVACs (Indian Visa Application Centers) that it could take at least 3–4 months to clear the backlog of pending applications. That means the chances of Bangladeshi WordPress enthusiasts attending are slim.”
WordCamp Central responds, Mullenweg offers alternative
Rocío Valdivia, an Automattic-sponsored Community team member, acknowledged the situation, describing visa barriers as an “unfortunate reality.”
“We hear you. We understand the frustration around visa restrictions preventing Bangladeshi community members from traveling to Mumbai for WCAsia 2026,” Valdivia replied on X.
“India has one of the most active WordPress communities, hosting large-scale events with experienced organizers. After years of hard work, this is a significant moment for them. We’re grateful that Mumbai stepped up—and has strong support from both local leaders and WCAsia organizers.
“Visa barriers are an unfortunate reality, and we recognize how hard this is. We remain committed to supporting and uplifting all WordPress communities across Asia and beyond.”
WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg also responded, offering to visit Bangladesh after the Mumbai event.
“That’s terrible,” he replied to Saleheen’s thread on X. “I’m happy to come to Bangladesh after to meet folks there if you want to put together something.”
Saleheen told The Repository that no plans had been made yet in response to Mullenweg’s offer, but discussions may take place.
“To organize an event, a lot of stuff needs to be taken into consideration; some within the community, and some external—like venue, schedule, and logistics,” he said. “We haven’t discussed anything within the community yet. Nothing is decided, but I’ll definitely share any progress, no matter how small.”
The concerns extend beyond Bangladesh. Katie Keith, co-founder and CEO of Barn2, pointed out that her team members in Pakistan could also face significant visa challenges.
“The Indian WordPress community is thriving and definitely deserves a flagship WordCamp,” Keith posted on X. “However, I have team members in Bangladesh and Pakistan but not India, and it sounds like they’d struggle to get visas 😐.”
Ongoing concerns over exclusion
This isn’t the first time the WPManageNinja team has raised concerns about groups being unable to attend flagship WordPress events. In 2023, company CEO Shahjahan Jewel published an open letter urging WordCamp Europe 2025 organizers to reconsider event dates that clashed with Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s most significant holidays. He likened the scheduling oversight to organizing a WordCamp on Christmas Day, meaning many Muslims won’t be attending WordCamp Europe this year.
Organizers later “deeply apologized” for planning the event during Eid, but said they were unable to reschedule the event due to venue availability and signed contracts. They said the multi-faith calendar they had consulted didn’t include the 2025 dates for Eid al-Adha.
WordCamp Asia 2026 will follow previous editions in Manila (2025), Taipei (2024), and Bangkok (2023).
Feature image credit: Atsushi Ando.
