Bangladesh Suspends Visa Services in India Over Diplomatic Tensions

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Bangladesh’s interim government has instructed its major diplomatic missions in India, including the High Commission in New Delhi, to halt visa services due to security concerns. This decision highlights ongoing tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.

Foreign Affairs Adviser M. Touhid Hossain announced at a Thursday media briefing that he had ordered Bangladesh’s three missions in India to temporarily shut down their visa offices. “What I have done is ask our three missions in India to keep their visa sections closed for now. It’s a security matter,” he explained.

Following this, Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata also limited visa services overnight, mirroring moves made earlier by the embassies in New Delhi and Agartala. Still, business and work visas were exempt from these restrictions.

Diplomatic missions in Mumbai and Chennai continued operating visa services without interruption. India had previously restricted visas for Bangladeshi nationals after August 5, 2024, citing security issues.

The relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi has remained tense since Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government was ousted amid violent student-led protests in July and August 2024. The tensions deepened when Bangladesh declined to send its cricket team to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, citing “security concerns,” with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requesting the ICC to move the matches outside of India.

In a detailed letter to the ICC, the BCB expressed worries not only for player safety but also regarding visas for media, fans, and other stakeholders, referencing the government’s stance on the issue. Tensions escalated after Bangladesh’s fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL squad amid worsening diplomatic relations, though no official reason was provided.

Following this incident, the Bangladeshi government banned IPL broadcasts within the country, and the BCB officially stated it will not participate in the T20 World Cup matches scheduled in India.