Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ Tensions between India and Bangladesh worsened after Dhaka suspended all visa and consular services at its diplomatic missions in India, citing an increasingly unstable security situation at home. The decision comes after a string of violent episodes in Bangladesh, including targeted attacks and threats on Indian diplomatic institutions and the shooting of a major student leader, which have raised new concerns about law and order. Hence, visa and consular services at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, as well as the Assistant High Commission in Agartala, have been stopped until further notice.
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Notices placed outside both missions stated that visa services had been temporarily suspended due to “unavoidable circumstances,” while expressing regret over the inconvenience caused. The decision has effectively suspended travel from India to Bangladesh, affecting tourists, business travelers, students, and families on both sides of the border. The suspension comes after weeks of turmoil in Bangladesh, which included mob violence, targeted attacks, and threats to diplomatic buildings. Indian officials have been closely monitoring the situation, particularly after Indian missions and visa centers were targeted by hostile groups in recent days.
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Despite the developments, India has chosen not to halt its visa services in Bangladesh. Emphasizing humanitarian considerations, especially for patients seeking medical treatment, Indian authorities have kept most visa application centers operational. 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 the security situation on the ground. During the visit, Verma spoke with several applicants, many of whom were applying for medical visas. The Indian High Commission later said that visa centers in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, and Rajshahi continue to function, even as security concerns persist. However, operations at the Jamuna Future Park center were briefly suspended last week after threats were issued against Indian diplomatic premises. Services resumed soon after, with affected applicants offered alternative appointment dates.
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The IVAC in Chattogram, meanwhile, remains closed following a mob attack at the entrance of the Assistant High Commission of India on the night of December 18–19. The incident involved stone throwing and threats against officials and staff, prompting India to seek stronger security assurances from Bangladeshi authorities. Adding to the sense of instability, another violent incident was reported recently in Khulna, where student leader and labor organizer Motaleb Sikder was shot. Sikder, a senior organizer of the National Citizens Party-affiliated labor wing Sramik Shakti, was attacked late in the morning near Al Aqsa Mosque Road. He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital and is reported to be out of danger, though the attack has further heightened fears about public safety.
As tensions rise, Russia has called for restraint. Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Grigoryevich Khozin urged both countries to prevent further deterioration in ties, stressing the importance of stability ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections. While speaking from Dhaka, Bangladesh, he said that it was India’s historic support towards Bangladesh’s quest for independence from Pakistan and that relations between Bangladesh and India must be improved. It is estimated that Bangladesh’s cancellation of visa services to India will harm the travel, commercial, academic, and cultural exchanges between the two countries, especially in the northeastern states located along the border (such as Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, etc.), which share enormous economic and social activities with people in Bangladesh. Additionally, the Indian government officials reported that the current situation is under review. Any further steps will depend on security conditions and guarantees from the Bangladesh government.
