Amid fresh strains in bilateral ties, Bangladesh’s visa operations in Delhi and Siliguri have been temporarily suspended, a foreign ministry official said.
“In Delhi, an incident occurred in which a group of people surrounded the Bangladesh High Commission. After this event, Bangladesh expressed concerns over security. As a result, no visas are currently being issued from the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi,” the official told ANI on Monday.
“In Siliguri, although Bangladesh does not have an official mission, visa processing was carried out through a private agency, VFS. However, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad reportedly vandalised the VFS office and issued threats. In response, the Bangladesh government has also suspended visa operations in Siliguri,” he said.
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On Sunday, MEA strongly criticized “misleading propaganda” by Bangladeshi media over the protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, while reaffirming its commitment to ensuring the safety of all foreign missions and posts on its territory.
The statement came a day after demonstrations were held outside the Bangladesh High Commission, with protesters demanding accountability for the rising incidents of violence against Hindu minorities in the neighboring country.
“We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident. The fact is that about 20-25 youth gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on December 20 and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time. The police stationed at the spot dispersed the group after a few minutes. Visual evidence of these events is available publicly for all to see. India is committed to ensure the safety of foreign Missions/Posts in its territory in accordance with the Vienna Convention,” he added.
Meanwhile, visa services remain fully operational in Kolkata, where the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission is located.
Despite earlier protests by the Trinamool Congress and a BJP protest today, visa operations are continuing as usual in Kolkata, Assam, and Mumbai. For now, only the visa operations in Delhi and Siliguri have been suspended.
(With ANI inputs)
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