Indian visa application centers in Bangladesh will be closed indefinitely due to the unstable situation in the neighboring country, according to India Today.
Applicants have been informed that they will receive updates on the resumption of services via SMS and are advised to collect their passports on the next working day.
The notice states, “All Indian visa application centers will remain closed until further notice due to the current instability. The date for resuming applications will be communicated via SMS, and passport collection is requested on the next working day.”
The student protests in Bangladesh, which initially aimed at removing job quotas for families of independence fighters, have escalated into broader anti-government demonstrations over recent months. This unrest reached a climax on August 4, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India.
On August 7, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka evacuated non-essential staff and their families via commercial flights, although the diplomatic staff remain at the High Commission, which continues to operate.
In addition to the High Commission in Dhaka, India has assistant high commissions or consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar informed Parliament on August 6 that India has been in constant communication with Dhaka authorities and the Indian community in Bangladesh.
“Throughout July, as violence persisted, we continuously urged restraint and advocated for resolution through dialogue. We also communicated these concerns to various political groups,” Jaishankar noted.
He also expressed the expectation that Bangladesh would ensure the necessary security for the Indian consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet.
Nationwide protests have been ongoing in Bangladesh since June over a job quota bill that reserves positions for families of war veterans, with the unrest intensifying last month.
Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate known for his work with impoverished communities and a critic of the ousted Sheikh Hasina, has been appointed to lead the interim government in Bangladesh.
