Visa Services Suspended at Bangladesh Missions in India Following Protests and Security Threats

Bangladesh has temporarily suspended consular and visa services at its missions in New Delhi, Siliguri, and Agartala following a series of protests and security incidents in India.

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi cited "unavoidable circumstances" after members of the Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena protested outside the mission, reportedly issuing threats against High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah.2 Similarly, the Assistant High Commission in Agartala confirmed a halt to services starting December 23.

In Siliguri, the visa center operated by DU Digital was forced to shut down after being surrounded and vandalized by approximately 300 protesters from groups including the VHP and Hindu Jagaran Manch. Protesters demanded justice for the killing of Dipu Das in Mymensingh and an end to the alleged persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.

The Indian visa center in Chattogram, Bangladesh, has also halted operations due to security concerns. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has placed the state on "high alert" to monitor the developing situation across the border.

While the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Delhi protests were quickly dispersed without a security breach, Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain noted that mission staff and their families feel significantly threatened.