NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Monday suspended all visa and consular services for Indian nationals, as violent protests continued to roil the country less than two months ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12.
"Due to unavoidable circumstances, all consular & visa services from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi are temporarily suspended until further notice," the mission said in a notice posted on its premises.
No timeline was given for the resumption of services amid heightened diplomatic and security tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.
The suspension comes two days after a group of around 20–25 protesters demonstrated outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, condemning the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a garment worker in Mymensingh, and demanding protection for minorities in Bangladesh.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson on Sunday had said that "there was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time," adding that police dispersed the group within minutes. However Bangladesh rejected the comments and questioned how the protesters were allowed to come close to the High Commission situated in a secured diplomatic enclave.
Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Tripura's Agartala had suspended visa services on Sunday after protests by the Tipra Motha Party and other groups outside the mission. Visa services run by a private operator on Bangladesh's behalf in Siliguri, West Bengal, were also halted following protests.
Meanwhile, days after the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, another political activist was attacked in Bangladesh on Monday. Motaleb Sikdar, Khulna divisional chief of the National Citizen Party (NCP), was shot in the head in Khulna and is undergoing treatment in hospital. The attack has intensified fears of targeted violence amid the political unrest.
Hadi, 32, was the founder of Inqilab Moncho, a platform that emerged from last year’s mass protests against then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, which culminated in her ouster. He had announced plans to contest the February 12 elections and was campaigning in Dhaka when he was shot earlier this month. After being airlifted to Singapore for treatment, he died last week.
His death triggered widespread protests across Bangladesh, with supporters alleging that the assailants fled to India and demanding their arrest. Police, however, said there is no confirmed information on the suspects’ whereabouts.
"We do not have specific information about Faisal's (prime suspect) last location. Our forces and intelligence agencies are working to obtain it,” Additional Inspector General of Police Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said at a press conference on Sunday.
The deteriorating security situation has prompted Indian student bodies to urge New Delhi to ensure the safety of Indian nationals in Bangladesh, particularly medical students.
Amid the unrest, Bangladesh’s interim leadership convened a high-level meeting to review law and order.
“A meeting was held at the State Guest House Jamuna under the leadership of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to assess the overall situation,” the Chief Adviser's press wing said.
Press freedom has also emerged as a flashpoint. Editors warned on Monday that threats against journalists have escalated after violent attacks on media offices last week.
"Journalists are receiving explicit death threats," The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said at a protest organised by the Editors’ Council and the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh.
Editors’ Council president and New Age editor Nurul Kabir alleged that attackers "attempted to burn journalists alive inside their offices." The interim government has blamed "fringe elements" for the violence and promised accountability.
Meanwhile, Inqilab Moncho has issued an ultimatum to the government, threatening to launch a movement to oust the interim administration if justice is not delivered in Hadi’s murder.
"The deadline has passed without any visible steps from the authorities,” said Abdullah Al Jaber, a leader of the platform.
Against this backdrop, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Grigoryevich Khozin called for de-escalation between Dhaka and New Delhi.
"Historically, since 1971 when Bangladesh gained independence, mostly because of Indian help as well, Russia also supported. Shoulder to shoulder, India, Bangladesh and Russia were together," he said, urging that tensions be reduced "sooner the better."