DHAKA: Bangladesh’s interim government has instructed its key diplomatic missions in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi, to temporarily suspend visa services due to security concerns, reflecting continued strain in bilateral relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain said on Thursday that Bangladesh’s three missions in India had been directed to keep their visa sections closed for the time being. He described the move as a precautionary measure taken in light of security considerations.
The decision follows restrictions imposed by Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, which limited visa services overnight. Similar measures had already been implemented by the missions in New Delhi and Agartala. However, officials clarified that business and work visas are not affected by the suspension.
Bangladesh also maintains diplomatic missions in Mumbai and Chennai, where visa services continue to operate normally.
India had earlier curtailed visa services for Bangladeshi nationals after August 5, 2024, citing security-related concerns.
Relations between the two neighbours have remained tense since the removal of the Awami League government led by then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, following student-led protests in July and August 2024.
The situation further deteriorated after Bangladesh declined to send its national cricket team to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift Bangladesh’s matches to venues outside India.
In its correspondence with the ICC, the BCB highlighted concerns not only for players but also for media personnel, fans and other stakeholders, adding that the stance reflected the government’s position.
Tensions were also heightened after Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from an Indian Premier League (IPL) squad amid worsening diplomatic ties, though no official explanation was issued. Subsequently, the Bangladesh government banned IPL broadcasts in the country, and the BCB reiterated its decision not to play T20 World Cup matches in India.