Bangladesh: India suspends visa services after violent attack near its Chittagong mission

Chittagong: Following a recent violent incident at the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Indian visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in the port city will remain suspended from Sunday until further notice, officials said.

They added that any announcement regarding the resumption of visa services would be made only after a review of the prevailing security situation.

The decision came after violence erupted outside the Indian Assistant High Commission on Friday, leaving at least four people injured, including two police personnel.

According to local media reports, the unrest broke out after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the radical group Inqilab Mancha.

Police said that protesters gathered outside the Indian mission’s office in the Khulshi area of Chittagong and began hurling bricks, vandalising parts of the premises in the early hours of Friday.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Hasib Aziz said that police intervention led to a chase and counter-chase between law enforcement personnel and the protesters. He added that those injured during the clashes were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Aziz further said that police detained several people from the spot and that they are likely to be booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act, according to the Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah to convey New Delhi’s strong concerns over the worsening security environment in Bangladesh.

The MEA said the Bangladeshi envoy’s attention was specifically drawn to the activities of certain extremist elements who have reportedly announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka.

India firmly rejected what it described as a false narrative being pushed by extremist elements regarding certain recent developments in Bangladesh.

The MEA also expressed concern that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has neither carried out a comprehensive investigation nor shared any meaningful evidence with India in connection with the incidents.

New Delhi called upon the Yunus-led interim administration to ensure the safety and security of Indian missions and posts in Bangladesh in accordance with its diplomatic responsibilities.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Chittagong amid protests over Hadi’s death, demonstrators set fire to the residence of former Awami League Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel.

The incident took place on Thursday night in the Chashmahill area of the city, where angry protesters also torched a motorcycle inside the house, which belonged to former Chittagong mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

Confirming the incident, Officer-in-Charge of Panchlaish Police Station Md Solaiman said that around 200 protesters had gathered in the Soloshahar and No. 2 Gate areas of Chittagong to demonstrate over Hadi’s death.

Bangladesh has witnessed a sharp rise in violence and a deterioration in law and order under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

IANS