Amid tensions with India, Bangladesh temporarily halts visa services due to…

In a significant move, Bangladesh’s interim government has temporarily suspended visa services in India, citing ‘security concerns’. Key missions in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi, have been asked to keep their visa sections closed for now.

Bangladesh suspends visa services to India

At the media briefing, Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain said: “What I have done is I have asked our three missions (in India) to keep their visa sections closed for now. It is a security issue.” These remarks came after Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata restricted visa services overnight, following similar steps taken earlier in New Delhi and Agartala. Business and study visas will not be affected and full services will continue to operate normally at missions in Mumbai and Chennai.

According to PTI, Hossain said Bangladesh had reached out to the US to request the rollback of the newly introduced visa requirement. Dhaka plans to take action through diplomatic channels to seek exemption, calling the decision “absolutely unfortunate and painful for us”. He also stated that the US decision is “not abnormal” because it applies not only to Bangladesh and many other countries are also facing similar measures regarding immigration. Meanwhile, Bangladesh also has diplomatic missions in Mumbai and Chennai, where visa services remain operational. Previously, India had imposed restrictions on visas for Bangladeshi citizens after August 5, 2024, citing security concerns.

Bangladesh-India tension

Bangladesh’s ties with New Delhi have remained strained since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League regime was ousted following a violent student-led street protest in July-August 2024. According to PTI, Hossain also told reporters that Bangladesh would make diplomatic efforts to secure exemption from the US’s newly introduced visa bail requirement, calling the decision “absolutely unfortunate and painful for us”. However, he said that the US decision was “not abnormal” because this decision does not only apply to Bangladesh and some countries are facing difficulties related to migration due to the measure taken by the US administration.

(With input from institutions)