Indian Visa Centres in Bangladesh Indefinitely Shut Due to ‘Unstable Situation’
August 8, 2024 – The Indian Visa Application Centres in Bangladesh have been indefinitely closed due to the unstable situation following massive protests that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Indian Visa Application Centre announced on their website that all visa application centres would remain closed until further notice. Applicants will be informed of the next application date via SMS, and passports can be collected the next working day.
This decision comes in the wake of India evacuating 190 non-essential staffers and their families from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka after the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on Monday. However, all diplomats remain in Bangladesh, and the missions continue to operate.
In addition to the High Commission in Dhaka, India has assistant high commissions or consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet.
The protests began in June, primarily led by students opposing a controversial job quota system granting 30% reservation for families of veterans from the 1971 Liberation War. Initially peaceful, the protests turned violent after police crackdowns, escalating into a larger movement against Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. Following her resignation and departure to India on Monday, unrest has continued with extensive vandalism and looting of Hindu properties and temples.
An interim army-backed government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is set to take oath amid the ongoing violent protests. Yunus was chosen by students to head the interim government as its chief adviser.
Meanwhile, the Indian government is working on securing asylum for Sheikh Hasina in a European country, sources informed India Today TV.
