Mahdi Hasan Seen in Delhi With Woman

Fresh discussion has emerged in political and social circles following the appearance of Mahdi Hasan, a former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Member Secretary of its Habiganj district unit, in India’s capital, Delhi, accompanied by a woman described by sources as a close relative.

According to individuals familiar with the matter, eyewitness accounts and media reports, Mr Hasan travelled to Delhi recently to apply for a visa to Portugal. For Bangladeshi nationals, the Portuguese visa application process cannot be completed directly in Dhaka. Instead, applicants are required to submit their documents at an authorised visa application centre in Delhi. This necessitates obtaining an Indian visa prior to travel.

Sources claim that Mr Hasan secured the required Indian visa in accordance with regulations and travelled to Delhi to submit his application through the designated centre. Such centres operate on behalf of various embassies, handling application intake, document verification and preliminary processing before forwarding cases to the respective diplomatic missions.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Hasan was reportedly seen at the visa centre located in Connaught Place, a major commercial district in central Delhi. Witnesses state that he was seated in the waiting area, with the woman in question sitting beside him. At approximately 11.00 am, another visitor at the centre is said to have recognised him and discreetly recorded a video. That individual had reportedly been present to apply for a visa to a different country.

Shortly thereafter, Mr Hasan allegedly began receiving multiple calls on his mobile telephone from unfamiliar numbers originating from both India and Bangladesh. Sources suggest that the volume and persistence of these calls caused him considerable anxiety, particularly as information about his presence in Delhi began circulating on social media platforms.

Later that day, he left the visa centre and travelled to the Jama Masjid area of Old Delhi. One source claims he attempted to move between different locations in the city in order to avoid potential risk, but did not remain in any one place for an extended period.

He returned to Dhaka on Wednesday, landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 3.40 pm on a scheduled passenger flight from Delhi. Immigration officials at the airport questioned him regarding the purpose and details of his travel. Mr Hasan has alleged that he experienced psychological harassment while in India.

A summary of the sequence of events is set out below:

A related source further indicated that, upon receiving the Portuguese visa, Mr Hasan had intended to travel onwards to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. However, it remains unclear whether that plan will proceed in light of the recent developments.

Debate surrounding the episode continues across political and civic forums, with differing interpretations offered regarding both the circumstances of his travel and the public reaction that followed.