New Delhi/ Dhaka, Dec 18: India on Wednesday closed the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) at Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka citing serious security concerns, hours after summoning Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to convey its strong protest over threats to the Indian Mission and inflammatory anti-India statements by extremist elements.
The Visa Application Centre said operations were shut at 2 PM due to the prevailing security situation and that all applicants with appointments scheduled for the day would be accommodated at a later date.
The decision came amid heightened tensions following threats by radical groups and provocative remarks by Bangladeshi political leaders, prompting New Delhi to seek urgent assurances regarding the safety of its diplomatic personnel and premises.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, and expressed deep concern over what it described as a deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh.
According to the MEA, the envoy’s attention was drawn to the activities of certain extremist elements that had announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka. India conveyed that it expects the interim government in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of diplomatic missions in line with its international obligations.
The MEA also rejected what it called a “false narrative” being promoted by extremist elements in Bangladesh regarding recent incidents, stating that the interim government had neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India.
“India has close and friendly relations with the people of Bangladesh, rooted in the shared history of the Liberation War and strengthened through people-to-people ties,” the MEA said, adding that New Delhi remains committed to peace, stability and the conduct of free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, a protest march under the banner ‘July Oyikko’ (July Unity) was held in Dhaka, with demonstrators demanding the repatriation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India. Police prevented the protesters from reaching the Indian High Commission.
Tensions have further escalated following remarks by National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah, who warned that if Bangladesh was destabilised, the impact would extend beyond its borders and included threats referencing India’s northeastern states. India has categorically rejected such statements, reiterating that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities hostile to Bangladesh.
India operates 16 visa application centres across Bangladesh, which together process approximately 2.2 million visa applications annually. The State Bank of India is the only authorised agency for receiving Indian visa applications in Bangladesh.
