Bangladesh halts visa services in New Delhi and Tripura amid diplomatic strain

Bangladesh has suspended visa issuance at its high commission in New Delhi and its assistant high commission in Tripura amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Officials familiar with the development said the move followed protests staged outside both diplomatic missions. The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi issued a public notice stating that visa services had been suspended due to unavoidable circumstances.

A similar announcement came from the assistant high commission in Tripura after demonstrators gathered outside the premises on Sunday. Sources also said a private agency authorised by Dhaka to handle visa applications in Siliguri, West Bengal, has suspended its operations.

The developments come against the backdrop of renewed unrest in Bangladesh following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi last week. Hadi had emerged as a key figure in the anti-government protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. During the recent protests, some demonstrators also directed their anger at India.

Amid the unrest, a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was killed in Mymensingh. On Thursday, protesters attempted to force their way into India’s assistant high commission in Chittagong, prompting India to suspend visa services at the mission.

Earlier, India summoned Bangladesh’s envoy, Riaz Hamidullah, and expressed serious concern over announcements by certain extremist elements about plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka. The Ministry of External Affairs said India "completely rejects the false narrative" being spread by such groups over recent developments in Bangladesh.

“It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents,” the MEA said shortly after summoning Hamidullah.