Bangladesh ‘suspends’ visa services at Delhi, Agartala missions

Bangladesh has reportedly suspended visa services at its missions in India.

On Monday, the foreign ministry officials, who declined to be named, said notices about the suspension have been affixed at the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and the Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura.

The suspension comes amid a spate of tensions and conflicting statements about allegations of a commotion and threats outside the Bangladesh missiion in Delhi.

The move follows a series of protests in Dhaka on Thursday night over the killing of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, the convenor of the Inqilab Moncho.

That night, two newspaper offices and the Chhayanaut building were attacked in the capital.

Meanwhile, in Chattogram, a group of people protested outside the Indian Assistant High Commission, reportedly hurling stones at the mission.

As a result, operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in the port city were suspended from Sunday until further notice.

On the same night in Bhaluka, a factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, 28, was beaten to death following allegations of religious blasphemy. His body was then tied to a tree branch and set on fire.

On Saturday night in Delhi, 20–25 members of an organisation called the “Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena” protested outside the Bangladesh High Commission.

They reportedly shouted slogans against Bangladesh and allegedly threatened High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah.

Citing the high commission’s Press Minister Md Faisal Mahmud media reports on Sunday said the protestors spoke in a mix of Bengali and Hindi, raising slogans such as “Hindus must be protected” and “catch the high commissioner”.

“They shouted at the main gate briefly before leaving,” he added.

In response, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said a small group of around 20 to 25 people gathered outside the mission on Dec 20 to protest the killing of Dipu Das in Mymensingh and to call for the protection of minorities in Bangladesh.

“There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time,” Jaiswal said, adding that police officers stationed at the spot dispersed the group after a few minutes and that video footage of the incident was publicly available.

India’s foreign ministry said it remained committed to ensuring the safety of foreign diplomatic missions in line with its obligations under the Vienna Convention.

Jaiswal said India was “closely monitoring” developments in Bangladesh and remained in contact with Bangladeshi authorities.

He said New Delhi had conveyed “strong concerns” over attacks on minorities and urged that those responsible for the killing of Dipu Chandra Das be brought to justice.

Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain rejected India’s account, saying the protesters from a “Hindu extremist organisation” were allowed to reach the Bangladesh mission, which is located deep inside a diplomatic zone.

“We completely reject what has been said in the Indian press note,” Touhid said. “The issue is not as simple as it has been presented.

He questioned how a group of 25 or 30 people from an “extremist organisation” could gain access to such a highly “sanitised” zone.

The advisor said the protestors did more than raise slogans about the killing of Dipu Das, and media reports suggesting otherwise were partially “misleading”.

“They did not just stand there and raise slogans protesting the killing of that Hindu citizen and then leave. They said many other things as well, we are aware of that,” he said.

Raising questions over security arrangements, Touhid said protest groups are usually informed in advance and stopped at a distance by police, with only two representatives allowed to submit documents if necessary.

“This is the norm everywhere, including in our country,” he said.

Responding to India’s call for ensuring the safety of minorities in Bangladesh, Touhid said the brutal killing of a Bangladeshi citizen should not be framed as a minority issue.

“He was a Bangladeshi citizen who was murdered, and Bangladesh has taken immediate action. Several arrests have already been made,” he said.

“Such incidents do not occur only in Bangladesh. They happen across the region. It is the responsibility of every country to take appropriate action, and Bangladesh is doing so. Others should do the same. The way this has been presented is not acceptable,” he added.

Touhid also said normal security protocols were not properly followed at the Bangladesh High Commission. “We believe the usual security rules were not properly enforced. India has said it ensures security at all missions, and we have taken note of that.”

Asked if the government would consider scaling back operations at the mission to ensure diplomats’ safety, he said such steps would be taken if the situation warranted it.

“For now, we still trust that India will take appropriate security measures.”

On whether there were security lapses at the mission, Touhid, who previously served at the Delhi mission, said the issue went beyond slogans being raised.

“A family lives inside the mission. The high commissioner and his family reside there.

“They felt threatened and alarmed because adequate security was not in place. There were only two guards, and they stood by without intervening,” he added.