Indian visa services suspended in Bangladesh’s Chittagong amid unrest over Hadi’s killing

Indian visa services suspended in Chittagong as unrest erupts after Hadi’s killing

Indian visa services at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Bangladesh’s Chittagong have been suspended until further notice following a deterioration in the security situation amid violent unrest in the country.

The decision comes after protesters targeted the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong during demonstrations linked to the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

According to an update posted on the IVAC website, visa operations at the Chittagong centre were halted from December 21 due to a “recent security incident” at the Assistant High Commission. The centre said services would resume only after a review of the situation.

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The suspension follows days of escalating protests across Bangladesh, with demonstrators gathering near Indian diplomatic missions in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi. In Chittagong, a large crowd reportedly attempted to storm the Indian mission before being pushed back by security forces.

Similar protests have included anti-India slogans and calls for action against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after her government was toppled in student-led protests last year.

India has raised the issue diplomatically, summoning Bangladesh’s High Commissioner in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest over threats to Indian missions and inflammatory statements by political leaders. New Delhi has also rejected allegations that attackers involved in Hadi’s killing fled to India.

Security has been tightened around Indian diplomatic facilities in Bangladesh as authorities work to prevent further violence.