Bangladesh’s interim government has suspended visa service for India and imposed further restrictions on the issuance of visas for Indian citizens by citing security concerns according to the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The scope of the visa curbs has been extended to the country’s deputy high commissions in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai.
The ministry said that all types of visas have been suspended except for business and employment categories. Consular and visa services at the Bangladeshi Deputy High Commission in Kolkata have been completely shut down.
In Mumbai and Chennai, services for tourist visas and all other categories have also been suspended. Officials said the visa restrictions were imposed in view of prevailing security concerns.
Earlier, Bangladesh had suspended visa services for Indians at the Delhi High Commission and Agartala border crossing.
The Bangladesh High Commission said in a notice that due to unescapable circumstances all consular and visa services from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi were temporarily postponed until further notice any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.
It is pertinent to mention that ferocious protests were vented in several cities across Bangladesh following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi at Singapore’s General Hospital on Thursday.
Following the incident, India reportedly issued death threats against another leader, escalating tensions.
Hadi, an outspoken critic of India, died from gunshot wounds sustained in an assassination attempt.
On Thursday, protesters, seeking the deportation of former Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, were stopped from marching towards an Indian diplomatic mission.
Ties Bangladesh and India have been strained since Sheikh Hasina fled to India following a student-led uprising last year.
Also read: Bangladesh suspends Indian visas at Delhi High Commission, Agartala border
