Daijiworld Media Network - Chittagong
Chittagong, Dec 21: Indian visa services in Bangladesh’s port city of Chittagong have been suspended indefinitely following a violent episode near the Assistant High Commission of India, officials confirmed on Saturday. Visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) will remain on hold from Sunday until further notice, pending a review of the security situation.
The move comes in the wake of clashes outside the Indian mission on Friday, in which at least four people were injured, including two police officers. According to local reports, protesters gathered in the Khulshi area after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a spokesperson of the radical group Inqilab Mancha, and began pelting bricks and vandalising parts of the mission’s premises in the early hours of the day.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasib Aziz said law enforcement personnel intervened, leading to a chase and counter-chase with protesters. Those injured were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, while several individuals were detained and are likely to face charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Earlier this week, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner in New Delhi to convey serious concerns over the deteriorating security environment. The MEA said it had flagged the activities of extremist elements who allegedly announced plans to target Indian diplomatic establishments.
New Delhi also rejected what it termed a “false narrative” being spread by radical groups over recent developments in Bangladesh and expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of a comprehensive investigation or credible evidence shared by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. India urged Dhaka to uphold its diplomatic obligations and ensure the safety of Indian missions and personnel.
Separately, protests linked to Hadi’s death escalated elsewhere in Chittagong, with demonstrators setting fire to the residence of former Awami League education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel. Police said around 200 protesters had gathered across several neighbourhoods, highlighting the widening unrest in the city.
The suspension of visa services reflects India’s growing concern over the sharp rise in violence and the worsening law-and-order situation in Bangladesh under the current interim administration.