The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has temporarily suspended all consular and visa services, citing serious security concerns. A notice displayed at the High Commission’s entrance stated that operations would remain halted until further instructions.
Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka have confirmed the suspension, attributing it to recent violent protests and attacks on Bangladesh visa centres in India. Officials highlighted that these incidents have significantly compromised the safety of both citizens and diplomatic staff at the High Commission, its subordinate missions, and visa centres across India.
“Under international diplomatic norms, the safety of foreign embassies and high commissions must be safeguarded at all times,” a senior ministry official said. “However, in the wake of repeated unrest, appropriate preventive measures appear to have been insufficient.”
The unrest was triggered by the killing of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Valuka, Mymensingh, allegedly over religious remarks. In response, protests erupted in various parts of India, including Assam and Kolkata. Reports indicate that some Hindu nationalist organisations were involved in these demonstrations. On Monday, a protest took place outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, while the visa centre in Siliguri suffered acts of vandalism.
In Assam, the group ‘Bangali Parishad, Assam’ organised demonstrations in more than 50 locations, during which effigies of Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, were set on fire.
The table below summarises the recent security incidents affecting Bangladesh missions in India:
| Location | Type of Incident | Organising Group/Perpetrators |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | Protest outside Deputy High Commission | Local Hindu nationalist group |
| Siliguri | Vandalism at visa centre | Unknown/local groups |
| Assam (50+ areas) | Protests and effigy burning | Bangali Parishad, Assam |
| New Delhi | Protest outside High Commission | Radical Hindu group |
On Saturday night, demonstrators breached security and protested outside the High Commission in Delhi’s diplomatic enclave. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs described the incident as “misleading” in its official statement, a characterisation rejected by Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Touhid Hossain.
Foreign policy analysts suggest that if such communal protests continue across India, it will be imperative to further strengthen security at Bangladesh’s High Commission and its subordinate missions. Given the escalating threats, the temporary suspension of visa and consular services is regarded as a necessary precaution to protect both diplomatic personnel and visiting citizens.