India-Bangladesh ties strain further: Dhaka suspends consular & visa services in New Delhi

Bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated further on December 22 after Dhaka suspended consular services and visa issuance at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, citing “unforeseen circumstances”. 

Several senior officials at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the development to Prothom Alo, saying all consular operations at the mission have been temporarily halted. The move comes amid heightened diplomatic friction and rising security concerns on both sides of the border. 

The decision follows after India’s suspension of visa services in several Bangladeshi cities, including Khulna, Rajshahi and Chattogram following massive protests and stone pelting incidents last week. Indian authorities cited security concerns after protests in Chattogram turned violent, with demonstrators allegedly pelting stones at the visa office building. 

Protests & political unrest in Bangladesh 

The diplomatic standoff is unfolding against the backdrop of growing unrest in Bangladesh following the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to gunshot injuries after an assassination attempt earlier this month. His death sparked widespread protests across the country, some of which have taken a sharply anti-India tone. 

Tensions spilled over into New Delhi over the weekend, where a small protest was held outside the Bangladesh High Commission following the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment factory worker, in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, on December 20. 

Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain on December 21 said that Dhaka may consider scaling down its diplomatic presence in India if the security situation deteriorates further. “We will go down that road if the situation warrants… For now, we will keep our faith in India to do its bit,” Hossain said at a press briefing. 

While noting that he had no definitive proof, Hossain said there were reports of threats against the Bangladeshi High Commissioner during the protest. “Why would anyone come there just to threaten him?” he asked, adding that the envoy’s family has felt unsafe since the incident. 

India dismisses security breach claims 

India, however, rejected claims of any security lapse. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there was no attempt to breach the High Commission’s perimeter or create a security situation. 

“There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time,” Jaiswal said, clarifying that around 20-25 people had gathered to protest the killing of Das and to demand justice and protection for minorities in Bangladesh. The demonstrators were dispersed by police within minutes, he added, and visual evidence of the events is publicly available. 

“We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident,” Jaiswal said, reiterating that India remains committed to ensuring the safety of foreign diplomatic missions in line with the Vienna Convention. 

The MEA said Indian authorities are closely monitoring developments in Bangladesh and remain in contact with Dhaka. “Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed our strong concerns over the attacks on minorities. We have also urged that the perpetrators of the barbaric killing of Das be brought to justice,” the statement said.