As tension rises, Bangladesh shuts visa operations in Delhi

DHAKA: Amid growing tensions between Bangladesh and India, Dhaka suspended Monday consular and visa services due to "unavoidable circumstances" from its high commission in Delhi. This even as India reopened its visa centres in Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet, keeping "humanitarian needs in mind", especially of those applying for medical visas, and despite the security threat to its diplomatic facilities.

Bangladesh's move came a day after it claimed that protests near its high commission left the "high commissioner and his family feeling threatened". India slammed Dhaka's attempts to draw a false equivalence between protests targeting its facilities in Bangladesh and outside the Bangladeshi mission in Delhi. Dhaka's charge was trashed by the foreign ministry officials as "misleading propaganda".


The Indian visa centre in Chittagong remains closed after a mob pelted the Indian assistant high commissioner's residence with stones on Thursday, with demonstrators coming precariously close to the diplomatic facility despite the presence of Bangladeshi security personnel. The visa services in Khulna and Rajshahi were also closed Thursday in the wake of massive "anti-India" protests in the country.

In Dhaka, a senior Indian visa application centre official said, "Keeping humanitarian needs in mind and despite the evolving security situation, the Indian high commission continues to operate the visa centres at Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi."

Though the centre at the Indian high commission in Dhaka was closed Wednesday after protesters had gathered near it, it was opened a day later.

Indian envoy speaks to medical visa-seekers

In a notification, Bangladesh high commission said, “Due to unavoidable circumstances, all consular and visa services from high commission in New Delhi are temporarily suspended until further notice.” Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma visited IVAC in Dhaka Monday to take stock of functioning of visa services. He spoke to visa applicants, many of whom were applying for medical visas.
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