Bangladesh temporarily suspends visa and consular services at its Delhi High Commission, cites ‘unforeseen circumstances’

Consular and visa issuance services at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi have been suspended until further notice, with Dhaka citing “unforeseen circumstances” after a brief protest outside the mission triggered security concerns and diplomatic unease.

Senior officials from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Prothom Alo that all consular operations at the High Commission have been temporarily halted. The move comes after a late-night protest on Saturday by a small group outside the mission premises.

The tit-for-tat move by Dhaka comes amid sharply deteriorating ties between the two countries, following the killings of two Bangladeshi youth leaders, Sharif Osman Hadi and Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar. Hadi’s death was followed by the mob lynching of a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, further deepening tensions and raising concerns over political violence and communal unrest in Bangladesh.

According to officials, around 20-25 members of an outfit calling itself Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena gathered outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, raised anti-Bangladesh slogans and allegedly issued threats against Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah. The demonstration reportedly lasted about 20 minutes before dispersing.