India designates Bangladesh mission as non-family posting amid security concerns
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India has temporarily classified its diplomatic mission in Bangladesh as a non-family posting, due to security concerns, Indian foreign ministry sources told the FE on Wednesday.
Officials at India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure in light of the evolving security situation. While the Indian high commission and its consulates in Bangladesh remain fully operational, diplomats and officials have been advised to send their immediate family members back to India.
“Given the security situation, as a precautionary measure, we have advised the dependents of officials in the Mission and Posts to return to India,” an MEA official told the FE, on condition of anonymity.
“The Mission and all Posts in Bangladesh continue to remain open and operational in full strength.”
The move, which came into effect on 1 January, means that Indian diplomats posted to Bangladesh will no longer be permitted to be accompanied by spouses or children for the duration of their assignments. Officials were informed that family members should return to India by 8 January, though those with children enrolled in Bangladeshi schools were granted a seven-day extension. By 15 January, families of Indian officials in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi had been required to leave at short notice.
Until now, only four countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and South Sudan – were designated by India as non-family postings for diplomatic assignments. Bangladesh’s addition to that list marks a significant shift in how New Delhi is assessing risk in a neighbouring country with which it shares deep political, economic and cultural ties.
Indian media reports on Tuesday first revealed the decision, triggering speculation about a possible deterioration in security conditions. India’s foreign ministry has yet to issue a detailed public statement, but multiple sources within Bangladesh’s foreign ministry confirmed the development, describing it as a preventive step rather than a response to any specific threat.
The decision comes at a politically sensitive moment for Bangladesh, which is preparing to hold parliamentary elections following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in a violent, student-led uprising in August 2024. Election campaigning is due to begin on 22 January, with the interim administration under chief adviser Muhammad Yunus promising strict security measures to ensure a credible vote.
Concerns over public order, misinformation and the safety of minority communities have featured prominently in recent discussions between New Delhi and Dhaka. Indian officials have repeatedly raised the issue of minority protection, while Bangladesh’s interim government has insisted that most incidents involving minorities in 2025 were criminal acts rather than communally motivated attacks.
Indian media commentary has interpreted the reclassification of the mission as a signal of heightened caution. “Such measures are typically adopted when host countries face prolonged political uncertainty or elevated security risks, even as routine diplomatic engagement continues,” one report noted.
Despite the unusual step, both sides have sought to downplay any suggestion of a diplomatic rift. The Indian mission continues its normal operations, and there has been no indication of a reduction in diplomatic engagement or staffing levels.