- Bangladesh and India have faced tensions in diplomatic relations since Hasina’s ouster.
- Hossain orders 3 missions in India to close their visa sections.
- Bangladesh Deputy HC in Kolkata restricts visa services.
Bangladesh’s caretaker government has ordered its main diplomatic missions in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi, to suspend visa services citing security concerns, a move that highlights ongoing tensions in Dhaka’s relations with New Delhi.
Foreign Affairs Advisor Mr. Touhid Hossain said in a press briefing at his office on Thursday that he had asked the three Bangladeshi missions in India to temporarily close their visa sections. The daily star reported Friday.
“What I did was I asked our three missions [in India] to keep their visa sections closed for the time being. It’s a safety issue,” Hossain said.
The remarks come after the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata restricted visa services overnight, following similar measures taken earlier by the missions in New Delhi and Agartala. However, business and work visas remain outside the scope of the restriction.
Bangladesh also has diplomatic missions in Mumbai and Chennai, where visa services continued to operate.
India had already imposed visa restrictions for Bangladeshi nationals after August 5, 2024, citing security concerns.
Ties between Dhaka and New Delhi have remained tense since the Awami League government of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted following violent student-led street protests in July and August 2024.
It is worth noting that Dhaka-Delhi relations were further strained after the former refused to send its national cricket team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, citing “security concerns”.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move Bangladesh’s matches out of India.
In its detailed letter to the ICC, the Bangladesh board also noted that the fears were not limited to the players but the provision of visas to media officials, fans and other stakeholders was also part of the concerns. BCB also cited the government’s position on the issue.
The sites became controversial after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) squad amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries, although no official reason was provided.
Following the incident, the Bangladesh government banned the broadcast of the IPL in the country and the BCB officially wrote to the ICC stating that it would not play its T20 World Cup matches in India.
