Bangladesh’s high commission in New Delhi suspended all consular and visa services indefinitely starting 22 December 2025, following small protests by groups including Vishwa Hindu Parishad supporters near the mission, triggered by the lynching of Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
Simultaneously, the assistant high commission in Agartala, Tripura, halted operations late on 23 December after demonstrations by Tipra Motha Party affiliates and indigenous groups protesting anti-Hindu attacks, while VFS Global’s visa centre in Siliguri, West Bengal operating on Bangladesh’s behalf shut down post-vandalism by alleged protesters.
Official notices across sites cite “unavoidable circumstances,” deeply regretting inconveniences, with Agartala staff remaining in place but no services; this mirrors India’s recent closures of visa centres in Dhaka, Chittagong, and other Bangladeshi cities from 16 December amid anti-India rallies.
Indian protesters demand justice for minorities and Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, while Bangladesh highlights security threats no resumption dates announced as of 23 December, stranding applicants and rerouting them to distant alternatives like Kolkata.
Protests Spark Widespread Service Disruptions
The New Delhi high commission’s notice, posted prominently, declared: “All consular and visa services… have been temporarily suspended until further notice due to unavoidable circumstances. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” a phrasing echoed verbatim in Agartala’s 23 December alert.
In Tripura’s capital, protests by Tipra Indigenous Students’ Federation and allies gathered outside the mission, chanting against recent violence like the Mymensingh lynching and Sharif Osman Hadi’s killing, forcing a late-night shutdown that severs a lifeline for residents of Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam who cross the Akhaura land port daily for affordable healthcare and commerce over 50,000 visas processed monthly pre-suspension.
Siliguri’s VFS outlet, handling Bangladesh visas for northern West Bengal and Sikkim, faced vandalism amid similar unrest, with broken windows and damaged property halting operations entirely; applicants now face long journeys to Guwahati or Kolkata, exacerbating delays for students, patients, and traders in a region where bilateral movement underpins economic ties. Sources note missions prioritised staff safety, with no injuries reported, but the human cost mounts as families postpone reunions and businesses stall.
Deepening Tensions Rooted in Political Upheaval and Minority Clashes
These closures cap a cycle of retaliations tracing to Sheikh Hasina’s August 2024 ouster amid student protests, her refuge in India, and subsequent accusations from Dhaka of Indian meddling in Bangladesh’s affairs.
Protests intensified after Das’s brutal killing on 19 December in Mymensingh allegedly over cow smuggling rumours sparking outrage in India’s Hindu communities and demands for minority protections, compounded by Hadi’s shooting and reports of over 50 temple attacks since Hasina’s fall.
Tipra Motha, championing Tripura’s indigenous rights, linked demonstrations to Bangladesh’s alleged territorial claims on Northeast India, while groups like Sanatani Hindu Sena rallied in Delhi invoking broader anti-Hindu violence.
This prompted Bangladesh’s moves, paralleling India’s 16-19 December suspensions of VFS centres in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet after radical Bangladeshi leaders threatened Indian missions and called for Hasina’s return by 25 December closures citing security warnings from New Delhi.
Historical frictions, including 2024 mission attacks and border killings, underscore fragility, yet shared rivers, trade exceeding $10 billion annually, and cultural bonds highlight stakes for ordinary lives caught in elite disputes.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Reciprocal visa shutdowns inflict needless suffering on everyday people patients denied treatment, traders losing livelihoods, families separated when leaders should channel energies into dialogue rather than diplomatic one-upmanship that erodes decades of neighbourly coexistence.
The Logical Indian stands firmly for peace, urging India and Bangladesh to prioritise empathy, protect all minorities through joint mechanisms, and revive channels like track-two talks fostering kindness across divides; true harmony demands de-escalation, accountability for violence, and people-centric policies over protest-fueled isolation, paving paths for shared prosperity in South Asia.
