Bangladesh suspends visa services amid protests, political unrest and rising tensions

Bangladesh's high commission in New Delhi temporarily suspended all visa services on Monday (December 22) after a small group of protesters gathered outside the mission. This suspension comes amid growing political tensions between the two countries. Additionally, Bangladesh’s assistant high commission in Tripura, had already announced a halt to visa services on Sunday (December 21) after a protest organised by the Tipra Motha Party and other groups. The private operator handling visa services in Siliguri, West Bengal, also stopped operations due to an act of vandalism at the site.

Notices issued by the diplomatic missions in New Delhi and Agartala confirmed that all consular services, including visa processing, would remain unavailable until further notice due to "unavoidable circumstances." Despite the disruption, the staff at Bangladesh's assistant high commission in Agartala remain in place. The unrest in Bangladesh began after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical student leader known for his anti-India stance, who was killed after being shot by gunmen in Dhaka. Hadi, who was being treated in Singapore at the time of his death, had garnered widespread support from certain political factions. Protests erupted across Bangladesh, some of which took on anti-India overtones.

On December 18, a large crowd attempted to storm India's assistant high commission in Chittagong, prompting local authorities to use tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters. In response, India suspended visa services in Chittagong. Demonstrations also took place near Indian missions in Dhaka, Khulna, and Rajshahi in the wake of Hadi's death. As protests intensified, several Bangladeshi student leaders and politicians claimed that Hadi's killers had escaped into India and demanded that New Delhi return the suspects. However, on Sunday, the Bangladesh police announced that they were unaware of the whereabouts of the alleged assailants.

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In India, the Ministry of External Affairs rejected claims that there was any breach of security at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. The Indian government also expressed concern over the lynching of a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, during the protests. Das had been accused of blasphemy and was killed by a mob. India reported that around 20 to 25 individuals gathered outside the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi on Saturday, protesting against the lynching, but were quickly dispersed by police.

Bangladesh's foreign minister Touhid Hossain disputed India's version of the incident, suggesting that there had been a serious security lapse. The Bangladeshi government also rejected India's depiction of the killing of Das as an attack on the country's minority communities. Diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained since the collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, followed by student-led protests and the rise of a caretaker administration led by Muhammad Yunus. The recent unrest triggered by Hadi’s death has only worsened the bilateral ties between the two countries.