Bangladesh Suspends Visa Services At Key India Missions Over Security Concerns | India News

Bangladesh’s interim government said on Thursday it had ordered several key diplomatic missions in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi, to suspend visa services, citing security concerns.

According to The Daily Star, Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain said at a press conference at the foreign ministry that three missions in India have been asked to keep their visa departments closed “for now”.

Responding to a question on whether Bangladesh missions restrict tourist visas for Indian citizens, Hossain said, “What I did is I asked our three missions to keep their visa sections closed. This is a security issue.”

While the advisor did not name the missions, diplomatic sources confirmed that the visa departments of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and the Deputy High Commission in Agartala have been closed. Business and work visas are excluded from the scope of restrictions.

The decision follows an overnight move by the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to restrict visa services following the implementation of similar measures in New Delhi and Agartala. Visa services at Bangladesh’s missions in Mumbai and Chennai continue to operate normally.

India had imposed restrictions on visas for Bangladeshi citizens after August 5, 2024, citing security concerns. Bilateral relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have remained tense since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was ousted following violent protests led by students in July and August last year.

During the same briefing, Hossain said Bangladesh would make diplomatic efforts to secure an exemption from the newly introduced US visa deposit requirement, calling the move “absolutely unfortunate and painful for us”.

However, he noted that the US decision was not “abnormal”, that the measure did not apply only to Bangladesh and that many countries face similar challenges regarding migration.

When asked about Bangladesh’s potential interest in procuring JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan, the foreign affairs advisor said talks were ongoing.

“I can’t say this today. (But) Talks are ongoing. You will know when things are finalized,” he said.