Bangladesh suspends visa services in India until further notice amid escalating tensions
The decision comes amid rising unrest in Bangladesh marked by mob violence, targeted attacks, and threats against Indian diplomatic establishments.
PTC News Desk: India–Bangladesh relations saw a sharp escalation on Monday after Dhaka suspended all visa and consular services at its diplomatic missions in India amid ongoing violence in Bangladesh, including the shooting of a student leader. Visa operations at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and the Assistant High Commission in Agartala have been halted indefinitely. Notices at both locations cited “unavoidable circumstances” for the suspension, effectively bringing people-to-people travel from India to Bangladesh to a standstill.
The decision comes amid rising unrest in Bangladesh marked by mob violence, targeted attacks, and threats against Indian diplomatic establishments. In contrast, India has continued to issue visas in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds, particularly for patients seeking medical treatment. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma visited the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka to review operations and assess security conditions.
During his visit, Verma interacted with applicants, many of whom were seeking medical visas to travel to India. The Indian High Commission confirmed that visa centres in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi remain operational despite the volatile security situation. The Jamuna Future Park IVAC had briefly suspended operations last week following serious threats to Indian diplomatic facilities, but services later resumed, with affected applicants offered earlier alternative appointments.
However, the IVAC in Chattogram remains closed after a mob attacked the entrance of the Indian Assistant High Commission on the night of December 18–19. The incident involved stone-pelting, intimidation and threats, prompting India to seek stronger security assurances from Bangladeshi authorities.
Tensions were further heightened on Monday by another violent incident in Khulna, where student leader and labour organiser Motaleb Sikder was shot. Sikder, a senior leader of the National Citizens Party–affiliated labour wing Sramik Shakti, was attacked near Al Aqsa Mosque Road in the Sonadanga police station area, according to local media reports.
He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where doctors confirmed he was out of danger. Officials said the bullet grazed his left ear without penetrating the skull, but the attack has intensified concerns over worsening law-and-order conditions in parts of Bangladesh.