Three Bangladesh missions in India close visa sections due to security concerns

Dhaka (Web Desk): Citing security concerns, Bangladesh has temporarily suspended visa services at three of its diplomatic missions in India, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain announced on Friday.

Speaking at the foreign ministry, he told journalists that the decision was taken purely as a precautionary measure and was not meant to single out or restrict tourist visas for Indian citizens.

While Touhid did not specify which missions were affected, diplomatic officials later confirmed that the visa sections at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, and the Assistant High Commission in Agartala have been shut for the time being.

In contrast, visa operations at the Bangladesh missions in Chennai and Mumbai continue to function normally.

The move follows a series of protests that have occurred in recent weeks outside several Bangladesh diplomatic offices in India.

The situation has remained sensitive since the removal of the Awami League government, after which the Indian High Commission limited the issuance of tourist visas to Bangladeshis, also pointing to security-related reasons.

Touhid was also asked to comment on recent sports-related developments linked to the strained atmosphere, including the omission of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League amid protests in India, as well as Bangladesh’s choice not to send its national cricket team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

He said he fully agreed with Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul’s position, stressing that the safety of players must take priority, and supported the demand to move Bangladesh’s matches to co-host Sri Lanka.

“We will play outside India,” Touhid said, explaining that both players and supporters would have to travel and that their security could not be compromised.

When asked whether these developments might affect relations between the two countries, he said such issues do surface from time to time and inevitably leave some impact.

However, he emphasized that Bangladesh would act in line with its own national interests, adding that while ensuring the safety of its players was essential, cooperation with India in areas such as trade would continue whenever it served Bangladesh’s needs.