India suspends visa operations in Bangladesh’s Chittagong indefinitely amid unrest
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Dhaka: India has indefinitely suspended operations at its Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Chittagong, Bangladesh’s second-largest city, effective immediately from Sunday. The decision follows a security incident at the Assistant High Commission and heightened tensions in the wake of the death of prominent Bangladeshi youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) confirmed the suspension in a statement on Sunday. "All Indian visa-related services in the port city will remain closed from December 21 until further notice," the IVAC stated, as reported by The Dhaka Tribune.
Officials indicated that a decision regarding the reopening of the centre will only be made after a comprehensive review of the security situation. This move comes days after the Assistant Indian High Commissioner’s residence in Chittagong was targeted by stone-pelters during protests on Thursday.
The diplomatic friction stems from the widespread agitation following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old youth leader who played a key role in the student-led protests that ousted the Sheikh Hasina government last year.
Hadi, a candidate for the upcoming February 12 general elections, was shot in the head by masked gunmen during a campaign event in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area on December 12. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Thursday.
His death has triggered a wave of attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh. During his funeral on Saturday, tens of thousands of mourners gathered, with reports indicating that the crowd chanted anti-India slogans, including “Delhi or Dhaka – Dhaka, Dhaka.”
While operations have been halted in Chittagong, authorities are taking precautions elsewhere. On December 20, security was significantly beefed up around the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application centre in Sylhet.
Saiful Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police, told The Dhaka Tribune that the enhanced security measures were implemented to ensure that "no third party can exploit the situation" to incite further violence.
(Inputs from PTI)
